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The mother of a 14-year-old boy who was stabbed to death on a bus in south-east London tearfully spoke of how the police told her what she was “fearing the most”.
Teenager Kelyan Bokassa died shortly after being attacked on a 472 double-decker bus on Woolwich Church Street at 2.30pm on Tuesday.
His mother, Mary Bokassa, told The Independent: “Every time I go into Woolwich I see police officers investigating a stabbing. I guess it is just my turn now.
“It feels so surreal and it’s something we tried to avoid. I did my very best to prevent that.
“I could never relax when he was out, my heart skipped when he left through the door. I just go to bed and wait for him. And that’s where I was when I got the knock on the door and the police told me what I was fearing the most.”
A manhunt has been launched to find Mr Bokassa’s killer but no arrests have been made so far. Detectives say they are working “at pace” to find those responsible.
Paying tribute to him, she said that he was a generous young boy, who wrote in a child’s scrawl “I love you mum” in her lipstick on the balcony wall last year.
Through tears, she said: “I couldn’t even be angry at him. I will always keep this here. He was taken into care when he was younger and he fought to come back to me.
“He was generous. When I gave him money for his birthday he would spend it on flowers for me. We had just got a puppy and they had bonded so well he was even asking me to adopt a little sister.
“I told him ‘I love you’, I didn’t say for him to be careful because I didn’t want him to be anxious.”
In a separate statement, she told the BBC: “He was very kind and caring. He cares about people and had a good sense of humour.
“He was very polite. He was interested in football and was a supporter of Arsenal. My son and others were taken advantage of by gangs. They were groomed.”
Mr Bokassa was a pupil at St Columba’s Catholic Boys School in Bexleyheath, south-east London.
A spokesperson for the school said in a statement: “We are saddened by the loss of life in Woolwich yesterday of a young boy who was briefly a pupil of St Columba’s in 2022.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time. Our schools will provide support to any of the students who may be affected by this senseless violence.”
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan described the attack as “heart-breaking violence”.
He said: “My thoughts are with the family, friends and wider community in Greenwich following the appalling fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy.
“This heart-breaking violence has absolutely no place in our city. I am in close contact with police leaders – an investigation is underway and local residents will see increased patrols in the local area.
“I urge anyone with information to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. There is no honour in staying silent.”
Some 10 teenagers were killed in London last year, nine of whom were the victims of stabbing while one died in a shooting, according to the latest data.
This was down sharply from 21 teenage deaths in the capital in 2023.
The youngest victim in 2024 was aged 14.
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