The police have named the victim of Thursday night’s fatal stabbing in Ashburton Park as 15-year-old Zaian Aimable-Lina.
Victim: Zaian Aimable-Lina was the fourth Croydon teenager killed through knife crime in 2021
A post-mortem examination conducted yesterday gave the cause of death as a stab wound to the heart.
The police arrested another 15-year-old boy on Friday on suspicion of murder, who was bailed until late January.
The police announced today that a second 15-year-old boy was arrested on Saturday in connection with the fatal stabbing. He remains in custody at a south London police station.
Zaian Aimable-Lina is one of 30 teenagers to be killed in knife attacks in London in 2021, and he was the fourth such victim in Croydon alone during the last calendar year.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Leonard, of the Specialist Crime Command, said: “The boy’s family have suffered a shocking loss and it is now up to us to find the answers to the questions that they are asking.
“The community can help us. Police and local people must work together to catch violent criminals and bring them to justice. If you have information that can help, you must do the right thing and contact us immediately.”
Superintendent Dan Knowles, of the South Area Command Unit, which polices Croydon, said: “This tragic loss of a young life on our streets has rightly and understandably caused considerable concern among the local community.
“Our colleagues in Specialist Crime are continuing their investigation and my officers are carrying out enhanced patrols in the local area. I urge anyone who can help us to approach those officers and tell us what you know.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference CAD 5443/30Dec. To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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The youth in this country are being failed if they’re turning to murdering each other. People in government need to come up with solutions to this problem. So sad to hear another young person has lost their life.
In the time I grew up it was the responsibility of the parents to ensure that their sons knew how to behave, reinforced by teachers. Sadly, too many young lads grow up without a stable environment, without a role model. Absentee fathers in particular have a lot to answer for.
Expecting any government to resolve the problem is naive.
Blaming crime on poverty is a nonsense. Many of us lived in, or near, poverty but didn’t turn to crime.
There seem to be a lot of different things driving this kind of behaviour and we need to understand what the drivers are and try to limit them as much as possible. I think local and national government have a major role to play in carrying out research and speaking to the communities where this kind of thing is happening and finding out what needs to be done to help stop these tragic deaths of very young people.
So sad. Condolences to Zaian’s family and friends.
Why do Children and young people not trust the authorities to protect them?
The link between carrying a weapon and distrusting the police should be acted upon. It’s possible that young people who live in high-crime neighbourhoods or who are already involved in crime may not see the police as being able or willing to protect them from harm. In those situations, it is unsurprising that a young person would see carrying a weapon as justified or necessary.