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NAME THEM NOW
Britain’s youngest killers in 30yrs should be named – but social media firms have blood on their hands too, says Tory
The senior Tory also called for social media firms to put 'children before profits'
BRITAIN’S youngest killers in 30 years should be named to prevent future tragedies, the Policing Minister has said.
Chris Philp said the two 12-year-olds who murdered Shawn Seesahai in Wolverhampton must have their cloak of anonymity stripped as he blasted social media firms for having “blood on their hands”.
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The top Tory told our Never Mind The Ballots show the “public interest would be served” by revealing the boys’ identities.
Neither of the pair have been named so far due to their age, with underage criminals only named at sentencing in exceptional circumstances.
Shawn was slashed with a machete, punched and stamped on in an unprovoked attack in a Wolverhampton park in November.
Judge Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples will consider naming his killers at sentencing next month following an application by media organisations.
The minister said: “Thankfully homicides by someone that young are exceptionally rare, it's the first time that has happened for 30 years.
“But it is absolutely shocking that two 12-year-olds did this, and it is right that they have been arrested, prosecuted and sentenced.
“We need to get knives off our streets, that is why I support more stop and search,
stopping people when there is a suspicion they are up to no good, and Labour does not support those sort of measures.
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“I support more early interventions… Any parent would agree that the idea of a 12-year-old carrying knives on a street is absolutely horrifying.”
Asked if the duo should be named, he continued: “Conventionally people under 18 do not get publicly named because they are children. It is up to the judge to decide if they should be.
“I think in exceptional cases, and this is obviously an exceptional case, the public interest may well be served by doing that to understand a bit more about the background to this and to learn lessons on how it can be prevented in the future.
“It is ultimately a question for the judge but I think there is an exceptional public interest in this case, yes.”
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During the duo’s trial earlier this month, Nottingham Crown Court heard one of the boys had been inspired by jailed drill musician ‘SJ’, who rapped about “swinging a blade” and “ripping through guts”.
The rapper, real name is Jayden O’Neill-Crichlow, was convicted of murdering a young father in a North London hair salon in 2019.
The boy admitted that watching drill videos had taught him to clean his blade with bleach to wipe Shawn’s DNA.
Mr Philp said drill songs – which usually feature violent lyrics – were something he was “deeply worried” about.
He added: “There's a whole Metropolitan Police unit that looks at some of these drill music songs, which in some cases expressly incite violence, or gangs use it to kind of beat each other as well.
“The Online Safety Act will put a duty on social media companies to remove content that promotes violence.
“I want them to step up and get this content and off the internet and off people's phones, because it is inciting violence.
“Those social media firms have a moral duty to take action, and they're not taking action at the moment in the way that they should.
“They're putting profit before children's safety, and they do it again and again and again.
“I would just say to them, if they're listening, clean up your act now, don't wait for the law to force you.
“Do it now, because children's lives are at risk and other people's lives, as we saw from this tragic incident.
“And frankly, by not acting, they have blood on their hands.”
Mr Philp’s intervention comes after senior cops told The Sun both boys should be named and pictured.
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The monstrous duo became the UK's youngest murderers since James Bulger's killers in 1993 - 31 years ago.
Former Met officer Peter Bleksley said: “It must be done to deter youngsters picking up knives.
"We don’t have enough deterrents these days, which is why criminals roam the streets without fear. Naming and shaming sometimes works.
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Dai Davies, a former Met Commander, backed his call, saying: “Unmasking them could act as a deterrent for other youngsters.
"Secondly, it would expose the feral kids that they are.”
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