The boy who went to play football with his friends and never came home

On a typical Sunday in north Manchester, Mamadou Seck watched his 14-year-old son, Ibrahima, head out to meet friends. Tragically, it was the last time he would see him alive. Ibrahima, a promising young boxer and footballer originally from Belgium, was fatally stabbed shortly after leaving home. The attack stemmed from ongoing intimidation by a group of peers. Witness accounts revealed Ibrahima had felt unsafe and had previously been targeted.

His murder shocked the community, leading to a significant local turnout against knife crime a week later. In the aftermath, three boys aged 14 and 17 were charged; one was convicted of murder, and the others of manslaughter. Two women who assisted the attackers were also found guilty. Ibrahima’s family struggles to fathom how a good-natured boy ended up a victim of violence, facing a heart-wrenching first Christmas without him, reflecting deep community grief and a call for greater safety.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News