Yousef Makki's family hope 2021 will provide some closure

Today marks two years since Manchester Grammar School pupil, Yousef Makki, died after being stabbed in the heart in Hale Barns.

On the anniversary, the teenagers family have released a statement setting out how they hope to find closure by the end of 2021.

They're also appealing for new information to try and better understand how Yousef came to die.

"There are many things we wanted and hoped to be able to say on the second anniversary of our beloved Yousef's death.

"We hoped to be able to say we better understood the truth of how and why Yousef's life tragically came to an end on 2nd March 2019. We hoped to have been contacted by Joshua Molnar or Adam Chaudhary and provided more insight into the night of his killing. We hoped that the authorities involved in investigating Yousef's death would have gone on to be more accountable and transparent with us. Unfortunately, however, 2020 was not the year we felt we were due.

"The then sudden death of our mum, Debbie Makki, has only compounded our grief and frustration to understand what happened to Yousef that night - and we hold on to the hope that by the end of 2021, we will gain some closure."

Appeal for help from the public

"By now the inquest into Yousef's death should be beginning - but instead, due to the pandemic, this has been postponed to late 2021. With an overriding sense of having been let down time and time again, our family have decided that at this time, on the second anniversary of Yousef's killing, we are left with no choice but to appeal directly to the public for any new information that can help us better understand the events surrounding Yousef's death.

"Our family believes that there is still information that has not come to light and therefore we are asking that anyone who has not yet come forward who has specific information or knowledge of the events leading up to Yousef's death to please get in touch with our campaign via: justiceforyousef@gmail.com."