Sister of stabbed teenager takes anti-knife crime campaign into schools
Jade Akoum, the sister of Yousef Makki, is continuing her fight to get knives off the streets of Greater Manchester
Last updated 30th May 2022
The sister of a teenager who died after being stabbed in Hale Barns is taking her anti-knife crime message into schools across Greater Manchester.
Jade Akoum, the sister of Yousef Makki, who died in 2019, has been delivering assemblies on the devasting consequences carrying knives can have.
Yousef was 17 when he died after being stabbed, and for three years Jade has been campaigning to find out what happened to him and for someone to be held accountable.
After releasing a book telling the story of her family's experience, she's now taken her campaign to stop teenagers from carrying knives, into schools.
Jade said: "I talk about Yousef, what he was like as a person, how academically gifted he was and how he has so many hopes and dreams for the future.
"I talk about how all of those were snatched away with a knife that cost no more than ÂŁ2.
"I think that age, under 16, is the exact right time that we need to be going in and talking to them about the dangers of knives and how it affects families afterwards because nobody talks about it, it ruins lives, and it needs to stop.
"I want to stress to them, how much it destroys lives and how their actions have consequences."
Over 3,500 knife crime offences involving children last year
The latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice show children between the ages of 10 and 17 were responsible for 3,519 knife and offensive weapon offences across the UK in 2021.
Additionally, last year our investigation revealed children as young as six had been found in possession of knives in schools across the North West.
Having first spoken to pupils in schools in Altrincham, Jade is now set to spread the message further after being approached by other schools too.
Jade added, "I feel like they've been really engaged, even more, engaged than I thought because I know some of them might be immature, they might find it boring but I've been surprised at the response.
"I'm hoping to get into as many as we can, we need to get to them and tell them how much it destroys lives.
"I think if we are given opportunities to go into every school in Greater Manchester we're happy to do that."