violent crime amongst teenagers in my old town
This happened in the area I grew up and went to school in (13 year old victim is from my old high school, and I wouldn't be surprised if the suspects (none older than 14) are also from there; as this field is a good 6km from the centre of Reading and is not the sort of place a teen would easily get to on Sunday afternoon unless they lived nearby (buses are less frequent, and its a long bike ride)
https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/emmer-green-stabbing-live-updates-19557434
violent crime amongst teenagers in my old town
I live in Emmer Green and my kids actually attend Highdown so this very close home. Hopefully this tragic case triggers a debate on the issues you mentioned because the last year's knife attack in Forbury park was quickly dismissed as "terrorist attack" which is a synonym with "not my problem" usually...
violent crime amongst teenagers in my old town
My teenager sources said the story was a former girlfriend of the victim asked her friends to "teach him a lesson" for whatever but the lesson has gone wrong as she only (!) asked to stab him in his hand rather than slaughter him to death.
violent crime amongst teenagers in my old town
@kravietz this is exactly what I suspected/feared could have been the issue - teenagers and young adults mistrust cops, social services and other authorities they try to enforce justice themselves (the younger ages this is happening though is worrying)
violent crime amongst teenagers in my old town
@kravietz 3 of the teenagers remanded in custory, two bailed with strict conditions.
Suffollk has cops (single officer/PCSO, not loads like Americans) and people from Social Services who go round high schools advising teens how to deal with relationship issues - a young lad told me about this 10 years ago and I initially thought it was overkill, but he rather sheepishly said it was required (and he was a raver so no great fan of the police)
violent crime amongst teenagers in my old town
@kravietz lived in Caversham from 1977 to 1990, Caversham Park Village from 1992 to 2006, attended Highdown from 1985-1990- generally the school and wider area *is* safe and quiet but there has always been an undercurrent of toxic masculinity even amongst middle class teenagers that can erupt into serious violence and this hasn't really been properly addressed for decades (I do remember in '86 we had talks about knife crime)