London stabbings: two men knifed to death in night of violence

Two young men of Somali origin were stabbed to death in separate incidents in north London last night, as serious knife crime continues to plague the capital.

A 17-year-old boy, named locally as Abdikarim Hassan, was stabbed to death in front of his mother in Camden at about 8.30pm yesterday, reports the Daily Mail. Less than two hours later, 20-year-old finance student Sadiq Aadam was hacked to death in the same borough by a gang wearing bandanas, says the Daily Mirror.

Scotland Yard has not ruled out a link between the two murder investigations.

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According to the latest Office of National Statistics report, knife crime rose 21% to a total of 37,443 recorded offences in England and Wales for the year ending 30 September 2017. “The occurrence of these offences tends to be disproportionately concentrated in London and other metropolitan areas,” says the ONS.

According to The Guardian, a total of 46 people aged 25 or under were stabbed to death in London in 2017 - 21 more than in 2016. A further 16 people have been stabbed to death in London already this year, the BBC reports. Five were teenagers.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is calling for increased police funding and for the restoration of funds for services that provide alternative paths away from crime, such as youth services.