Knife Angel comes to Sandwell
The sculpture is at Oldbury Civic Square until October 29th
Last updated 2nd Oct 2024
The Knife Angel, aiming to raise awareness of the impact of knife crime, had it's opening ceremony in Sandwell today.
It is made up of around 100,000 blunted knives which police forces up and down the country received.
The sculpture has been touring the UK since 2018 and stands at 27 feet tall and weighs 3.5 tonnes.
In attendance was mother Pooja Kanda. Her son died after being stabbed when he was mistaken for somebody else.
She says “It does have an effect on you when you go back home and go back to the empty house where your child has grown up and he's not there anymore.”
She’s fighting for a ban on machetes, zombie knives, Ninja swords and other bladed weapons.
“It's my life mission and it's my important to me that I will fight this crime with every breath that I have,”
It comes a week after two 13-year-olds were handed life sentences for the murder of 19-year-old Shawn Seesahai.
Sandwell Police Commander Chief Superintendent Kim Madill was also at the opening ceremony of the sculpture.
She said they're continuing their efforts to stop knife crime, when speaking on the Shawn Seesahai case:
"We need to understand why children and young people think it is okay to carry weapons and take further action to stop this extremely dangerous behaviour," said Madill.
Throughout the month of October, Sandwell Borough Council are holding events to promote peace and help young people understand the dangers of knife crime and how they can prevent it.
They will also be holding a photography competition looking for the best photos of the statue which symbolise unity and non-violence.
The Knife Angel's stay in Sandwell will finish on the 29th October with a closing ceremony 4-6pm.