Sir Sadiq Khan, called it an honour to join the family and loved ones of Damilola Taylor on the 25th anniversary of the 10-year-old’s tragic death in Peckham.
The London mayor was joined by Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to reflect on schoolboy’s legacy.
Damilola was stabbed in the leg with a broken bottle while walking home from Peckham Library after a day at school.
He managed to reach a stairwell in a nearby housing estate before he collapsed and passed on due to blood loss.
Damilola’s legacy includes the Damilola Taylor Trust, founded by his parents to support young people, promote education, and fight youth violence.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said:
“The Damilola Taylor Trust continues to transform young lives for the better and have turned unimaginable heartbreak into an enduring legacy, providing opportunities that reach communities right across our city and beyond,”
He continued saying:
“Damilola’s parents, Gloria Taylor and Richard Taylor OBE, are sadly no longer with us. I know how proud they would be to see the positive impact their work is having and will continue to have for generations to come.
“Every young person should have the opportunity not only to live free from fear and violence, but the chance to reach their potential.
“That’s why I set up the country’s first Violence Reduction Unit to focus on prevention and early intervention.
“This is giving nearly half a million young Londoners the positive opportunities they deserve as we continue to build a safer London for everyone,”
Damilola’s family moved from the West African nation of Nigeria to London in order to give their children better opportunities.
The incident took place exactly 25 years to the date of this post and the thugs who took his life are brothers Ricky and Danny Preddie who were found guilty of his manslaughter in 2006.
It took 6 years to bring the perpetrators to justice due to mistakes and unreliable witness testimony.
Re-examination of evidence using advanced DNA techniques identified Damilola’s blood on the trainers of Danny Preddie and on the sweatshirt cuff of Ricky Preddie, leading to their conviction.
