Bereaved parents organise peace walk in Luton in wake of fatal stabbing
The mother of a boy who was murdered in a knife attack in Luton almost three years ago is calling on people to join a peace walk, after the fatal stabbing of another teenager in the town.
Fiona Namusoke, Ashraf Habimana’s mum, has organised the walk on August 9, starting at Marsh House and ending in Kingsway Recreation Ground, the site of Bilal Nisar’s murder on July 24.
Fiona’s son was a year younger than Bilal when he was stabbed in Nunnery Lane in September 2023.
Teenage twins Athif and Althaf Hussaindeen were jailed for their roles in his death.
Since losing her son, Fiona has started a foundation in his name to fight for more awareness about youth violence.
She said: “We just need to make noise about what is happening because the more noise we make, maybe we’ll stop things like this happening. The more we come out and show people that as a community we should work together to stop this knife crime.”
The walk will start at 3pm and go through Hockwell Ring before finishing in Kingsway.
She explained: “I don’t want another parent to go through what I’ve gone through. I know the pain I’ve experienced, and I’m still experiencing this pain for the rest of my life.
“We as parents, we don’t see a future if our children are being killed.”
Reka Prosper is also helping to get as many people as possible out in the streets making noise about youth violence and knife crime.
Reka, who is involved with Street Fathers, said: “I do think that, at this point, we all know there is a very big issue, and I think the question we should all ask is: what are we going to do about it?
“We’re only gonna get better if we fight against it as a community.”
Fiona called on parents to be more involved in their teenagers’ lives, after seeing the devastation firsthand.
She said: “Parents should monitor their children.
“Let the parents know the friends of their child. Let them check the children’s rooms. Especially checking their children’s social media because these things are happening there.”
She also urged organisations and the council to give children more opportunities to stay occupied.
Fiona explained: “The crimes happen mostly during the holidays. When children are out of school, they need to be engaged. They’re bored.”
This was echoed by Reka: “We need good people to help those children and come forward.
“Having those people around you who you can look up to is crucial.”