First Minister to meet family of Kory McCrimmon about knife crime
Bereaved parents to press for action on youth violence after Glasgow rally
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and Justice Secretary Angela Constance will meet the family of Kory McCrimmon tomorrow, as calls mount for stronger action to tackle youth knife crime.
The meeting comes nearly a year after 16-year-old Kory was killed in a knife attack.
His family have since become vocal campaigners, urging the Scottish Government to implement preventative measures to stop more young lives being lost.
Last month, around 200 people joined the McCrimmon family on a “Parents Against Knives” walk in Glasgow.
It began outside Ibrox Stadium and ended at Celtic Park.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Kate Wallace, chief executive of Victim Support Scotland, said: “Knife crime continues to devastate too many lives across Scotland.
"Behind every statistic lies a painful reality - families, friends, classmates and entire communities are left to deal with the lasting and often tragic impact.
“The McCrimmon family is calling for a thoughtful and coordinated response.
"That means joint action from the Scottish Government, police, youth services, social workers and victim support groups to address the root causes and prevent further tragedy.”
She added that Victim Support Scotland’s bereavement team sees first-hand the “lasting trauma” knife crime leaves behind, and urged anyone affected to seek help.
The Scottish Government has yet to outline what specific new measures, if any, will be introduced following the meeting.
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