Father of teen stabbed to death in Dublin’s Dundrum speaks out about knife crime

“We have to take action, otherwise we’re going to lose more and more lives."

"How many lives do we have to lose to push this issue?" asked the father of a teenager who was stabbed to death in Dublin. Abdul Raguragui expressed his frustration at how little is being done to cease knife crime in Dublin. His 18-year-old son Azzam was stabbed to death in Dundrum on May 10, 2019. After last week's fatal stabbing in Tallaght, Azzam's father is urging the Government to take serious action. He explained that the death of Ademola Giwa was extremely hard for him because it brought back so many hurtful memories. [caption id="attachment_395441" align="aligncenter" width="1050"] Irish Examiner[/caption] He told The Irish Mirror, “There’s no action. I didn’t see anything. Of course, it’s frustrating. I’m surprised actually and in the meantime, I am deeply shocked how they can seize nearly 1,000 knives in eight months - not even in the whole year. “I don’t know what they are waiting for. How many lives do we have to lose to push this issue?" the father said. “We have to take action, otherwise we’re going to lose more and more lives," he stressed. Mr. Raguragui said the issue needs to be tackled urgently. He believes educating young people about knife crime is a step in the right direction. He added that using social media to help raise awareness is another thing that should be considered. “I am appealing and asking celebrities to share and participate in a campaign to tackle this issue. This new generation, they are following celebrities on social media. They won’t watch the news. We need to get through to them on social media," he shared. It is understood that 1,057 people were charged with knife crimes in 2021. Mr. Raguragui is right, immediate action is needed now and not after more lives have been lost to knife crime. Isn't it about time the streets were made safe for everyone, but especially our children? The rise in teen street violence is the new pandemic and parents are now more worried than ever. Urgent change is needed to make our streets safe again.