Family of Ronan Kanda launches anti-knife crime campaign to call on more action

It's as this week is Operation Sceptre.

Author: Hannah RichardsonPublished 15th Nov 2023

A Wolverhampton family says initiatives like Operation Sceptre should be happening more often to tackle knife crime.

Police forces around the region are taking on special measures this week to raise awareness and deal with knife crime.

In the West Midlands alone, the criminal activity has been rapidly rising and doubled.

The Kanda family know all too well how knife crime can damage lives.

They lost their son, sixteen-year-old Ronan, last June when he was stabbed to death yard from his front door.

Ronan was murdered in a case of mistaken identity.

His killers, Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill had purchased their weapons online and both aged seventeen.

They're now serving life in prison, with a minimum of eighteen years for Ronan's murder.

Now, his family have teamed up with West Midlands Police to launch an anti-knife crime campaign.

They're urging people to help save lives by reporting information about anyone carrying a knife.

Ronan's mum, Pooja, said: "The knife crime is not stopping and these criminals are not just picking up the kitchen knife, they are getting these machetes and ninja swords because they are widely available in our city."

Ronan's sister, Nikita, said: "It's upsetting because you think how we've lost Ronan, and we're campaigning to stop knife crime, but there's more stabbings happening all the time."

West Midlands Police are carrying out knife and weapon sweeps and test purchase operations.

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