The British authorities are fearful that the brutal killing of two teenagers could trigger another wave of public unrest.
A 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy, who are yet to be publicly identified by police, were stabbed by a “group of men” on Saturday night.
The fatal stabbing incident took place in Knowles West in South Bristol, which is the most populous city in Southwest England.
The police, as has become customary in England, refused to identify the suspects as anything other than a “group of men,” despite apprehending a 44-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy in connection to the heinous crime.
An official statement said: “Police arrived at the scene within minutes of the first call and did what they could to provide first aid. The victims sustained stab wounds and were taken to two hospitals – Southmead hospital and Bristol Royal hospital for Children – by ambulance, where they sadly died in the early hours of this morning.”
“An investigation into the incident is being led by our major crime investigation team,” the statement added. “Two arrests have already been made – a 44-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy. They remain in police custody. A vehicle has also been seized.”
“Formal identification of the victims has not yet taken place and a forensic postmortem will be carried out in due course,” the statement added.
Bristol Commander Supt Mark Runacres remarked: “This is an incredibly shocking and tragic incident where two young boys, who had their whole lives ahead of them, have sadly died.”
“Our collective thoughts are with their families at what is undoubtedly a very difficult time. Specialist family liaison officers will now be assigned to the families to provide them with support and keep them updated on the investigation,” the police commander continued.
“We have also identified several witnesses who we will be taking statements from,” the statement noted. “Detectives are particularly keen to speak with passengers on a bus which was on Ilminster Avenue at the time of the incident.”
The police commander then made an interesting remark.
“It is extremely important there should be no commentary or sharing of information or images online which could in any way prejudice and any future proceedings,” he commented.
“It can be an offence to identify anyone who witnessed all or part of the incident as well as those who have been arrested,” he said.
“I’d also like to remind people of the impact the sharing of images, footage or even discussing the incident online may have on the families of the two boys,” he said. “They are already going through the most difficult of times and you may cause them further upset.”
But is the police commander expressing such information out of concern for the bereaved parents or because the authorities fear another upheaval in protest against the nation’s policy of importing migrants who largely fail to assimilate into the community?
After all, grieving parents typically want the murderers of their children identified and arrested by any means possible. That would include public outcry to find the killers. Justice demands identifying murderers and their collaborators, regardless of police advisement. The public has a right to know who is killing children in neighborhoods, regardless of any inconvenience this might cause authorities.
The British public has plenty to be upset about. This is not the first grisly incident to take the lives of promising young persons in the island nation, which has become flooded with migrants from foreign populations.
“Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, were fatally stabbed on 13 June along with Ian Coates, 65,” reported the BBC on Thursday. “Their killer will be detained at a high-security hospital after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.”
“True justice has not been served,” said Webber’s mother.
Valdo Calocane, the 32-year-old murder suspect, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
“Prosecutors said Calocane’s history of paranoid schizophrenia meant he did not have the intent to murder,” the Sun noted.
The murder charges were subsequently dropped and Valdocane pleaded guilty to manslaughter with diminished responsibility.
Nonetheless, the surveillance footage of Valdocane leading up to the gruesome attack shows the methods of a cold, calculating killer.
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As the Sun reported, Valdocane’s detainment in a psychiatric hospital now means he can build Legos, play guitar, and paint pictures.
A psychiatric aide told the Sun that Valdocane, once stabilized on medication, would enjoy freedom denied to the vast majority of convicted murderers.
He said: “He’ll have the freedom to walk around, 24 hours a day. If Calocane’s stable enough and they get his medication right, he can go to social events where they’ll have a film or a show on.”
“He can go and do education, he can go to the gym, arts and crafts. There’s a metal workshop, cookery classes, even a swimming pool,” he added. “What I found when I was there is that it’s seen as a holiday camp.”
“Prisoners wanted to play the mental health card so they could get moved from jail,” the worker added.
Emma Webber, the mother of her slain son Barnaby Webber, summed up public sympathy well, while pointing out evidence of police malfeasance. She said that the public was “let down” by the Bristol police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for failing to arrest Valdocane after he assaulted a police officer in September 2022.
“At no point during the previous five and a half months were we given any indication that this could conclude in anything other than murder,” she said. “We trusted in our system, foolishly as it turns out.”
