Teenager arrested after 12-year-old stabbed to death.
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Bosman A blue and white police cordon stretches along a path. A white, blue and yellow police van is parked in front of it. Two police officers stand next to the van wearing yellow police jackets and black police hats. BBC
West Midlands Police has appealed for information, including photographic and video evidence.
A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 12-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Birmingham on Tuesday.
A family member of the victim described him as "the nicest, kindest boy" and "the sweetest boy you could ever meet". The boy was found seriously injured near Scribers Lane in Hall Green shortly after 3pm GMT.
He was taken to hospital but died from his injuries.
The family member added that the boy was "funny, kind and didn't have a grain of aggression in his body" and that he was walking 10 minutes home when the incident happened.
Scribers Lane is a long and busy road lined with local homes, shops and schools on the outskirts of Hall Green.
The attack is believed to have taken place near the railway bridge, which is near Trittiford Mill Park. One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC that the park was "infested" with anti-social behaviour and that she had often seen groups of young people who gathered there being "aggressive and threatening".
West Midlands Police have appealed for information, including photographic and video evidence.
Police said the boy's family were being supported by specialist officers.
Detective Inspector Joe Davenport said: "If you were in the area at the time and saw what happened, or if you think you caught any part of what happened on a camera or mobile phone, it is essential that you get in touch."d7240440-d8a5-11ef-993a-9dfb304c6a75.jpg.webp
A blue and white police cordon is attached to a lamppost. Behind it is a tree-lined path that runs under a railway bridge. A bouquet of flowers in a pink cellophane wrapper leans against the wall near the guardrail. The boy died in hospital from his injuries.
Alison Cope's son, Joshua Ribera, was stabbed in the heart outside a Birmingham nightclub in 2013 and is now campaigning to end youth violence.
She told the BBC that young people were "scared" to live in the West Midlands.
"They see the headlines of some of the horrific cases we see almost every week now."
Ms Cope said the region's approach to youth violence was "not working" and that the topic should be added to the curriculum.
"Children are being killed on the streets of the West Midlands, it's not a success story as far as I'm concerned." "We need to raise awareness and the only way to do that is through education."
"We are not complacent"
The latest knife crime figures, published in July 2024, show that the West Midlands police area has the highest crime rate in England and Wales.
There have been several high-profile incidents in the area involving teenagers.
In June 2024, two 12-year-old boys were convicted of the murder of Shawn Seesahai with a machete in Wolverhampton.
In November, a 15-year-old boy was charged with murder after a 17-year-old boy was stabbed in Marston Green.
A 15-year-old boy was charged with attempted murder on January 5 after stabbing a 14-year-old boy in Oldbury. In October, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) said a new knife crime team, led by the Home Secretary, would help "keep our people safe".
PCC Simon Foster said: "We are not complacent and we never will be."
According to the Office for National Statistics, in the year ending March 2023, 82% of teenage homicide victims were killed with a knife or sharp instrument, compared to 41% of all and teenage homicide victims.
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