“The rise in knife crime should shock us all.”
Debbie Makki, the mother of 17-year-old Yousef Makki, who was stabbed and killed in Gorse Bank Road in Hale Barns on March 2, will speak at a knife crime summit at Manchester Cathedral.
With one teenager killed by a knife every nine days across the UK, Manchester Cathedral is set to host the major regional summit to discuss the current knife crime crisis affecting communities across Greater Manchester.
The free event will take place on October 15 at 6.15pm and will include a candlelit vigil and personal testimonials. As well as talks from community representatives, including Greater Manchester Police, Carisma and its founder, Dr Erinma Bell.
The keynote speaker will be Nazir Afzal OBE (former Chief Prosecutor, North West England) who, alongside community colleagues, will explore the causes of knife crime, preventative measures for potential perpetrators, support for families and carers, and different paths to involvement with gangs and knife crime.
The Dean of Manchester, The Very Reverend Rogers Govender MBE, said:
“Rises in knife crime should shock us all. Community and religious leaders cannot stand by while young people, in particular, are seriously injured or killed.
“The Manchester Knife Crime Summit is an opportunity to deepen awareness of the causes of knife crime, to listen to and acknowledge the stories of lives destroyed and, yet, in the midst of such pain explore how together as one community, we might work to reduce the blight of knife crime in our city and region.
“Once again, Manchester Cathedral stands ready to bring many diverse communities together under one roof.”
The event will be open to everyone. The candlelit vigil will begin at 6.15pm outside the East and West ends of the Cathedral before the event moves inside, and will finish with a photocall at 9pm.