Lee stabbing victim Kevin Ssali's father wanted missing son home as birthday present

3:51pm Monday 17th September 2012 in News By Sarah Trotter

Kevin Ssali, 14, died after being stabbed on Saturday night in Lee Kevin Ssali, 14, died after being stabbed on Saturday night in Lee

THE FATHER of a missing schoolboy who was fatally stabbed at the weekend in Lee had wished for his son's safe return as a birthday present.

Kevin Ssali died on Saturday night after being attacked as he stepped off the 202 bus in Burnt Ash Road – close to the bakery where Jimmy Mizen was killed four years before.

The 14-year-old had been missing from his home for two months when the attack took place at around 9.45pm. He was rushed to hospital where he later died.

His father Sewa Ssali turned 54 the day before the stabbing and had wished for Kevin’s safe return as a birthday present.

Mr Ssali, who lives in Catford, said: "I was asking for my son to come back home for my birthday present – it wasn’t to be.

"It is absolutely devastating. We are going through all the emotions, we have all the questions and no answers.

"He was a very nice boy and everybody who came into contact with him said he was very humble and polite, very well brought up.

"He was an exceptionally bright boy at school. "He was quite a charming young man. He had lots of friends."

Kevin went missing from his South Norwood home on July 13 and his father says there had been a couple of sightings but no direct contact.

He said: "His going missing was completely out of character.

"We took it in our stride and [wanted] to get him back and find out what issues he had and get him back into education."

The pupil of Crown Woods College, Eltham, used to live along Lee High road and may have been visiting a friend on Saturday whose house was close to where he was killed.

He had four stepbrothers and sisters and dreamt of becoming a bank manager like his 33-year-old stepsister.

Like the Mizen family who have tirelessly worked for peace after their son was murdered, Mr Ssali has mercy for the perpetrators of the crime.

Mr Ssali said: "Within my heart, I have forgiven whoever has done it. I am not out to seek revenge, I don’t want it to cloud my heart.

"It is the failings of society that has put kids in a situation like this. A kid is probably safer in Afghanistan than London right now – it is not a good record to have.

"The message we want to send out is for young kids to be careful – we absolutely wouldn’t want this to happen to any other parent."

 Barry Mizen, father of murdered schoolboy Jimmy Mizen, told News Shopper the family are more determined than ever to bring peace to communities after this latest death.

Mr Mizen said: "We were very shocked to hear the news. We would like to convey our sympathies to the family and friends of Kevin.

"People asked – has it put us off? – It’s made us more determined than ever to bring peace to communities.

"It happened a few hundred yards from where Jimmy died and just brought it all back. All the police tape is back, but we are absolutely more determined now.

"We need a calm response to this. Are we going to sit back and get angry or are we going to make things better."

Jimmy's mother Margaret Mizen gave a talk to schoolchildren of Ladywell Fields College today to urge peaceful behaviour and prevent more young deaths as part of the Release the Peace campaign.

Visit releasethepeace.com to learn more or tweet #releasethepeace to show your support.

Police appeal for witnesses

Investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Mark Dunne from the Met’s homicide and serious crime command unit is appealing for witnesses to the incident.

He said: "There were a number of young people on the bus who witnessed this, some of them have already come forward and I need all of the remaining people to give me a call.

"I need to know what the series of events were which culminated in a 14-year-old boy losing his life."

Three teenagers were arrested in connection with the incident.

Two fifteen-year-olds have been bailed and a 17-year-old remains in custody.

Anyone who witnessed what happened is asked to call DCI Dunne on 020 8721 4906. 

 

Comments(22)

TIGGY-LEWISHAM says...
5:13pm Mon 17 Sep 12

come on , if this was a nice kid, he would never have run away from home for 2 whole months!!!

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Tamara-lewisham says...
8:29pm Mon 17 Sep 12

Have some respect ,a 14 year old child has been killed.
People run away for many different reasons, does not make them bad.

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donski41 says...
10:14pm Mon 17 Sep 12

What an unbelievably ignorant thing to say "If he was a nice kid he wouldn't have run away"
Are you serious, Troubled children run away, abused children run away, All sorts of childeren run away for all sorts of reasons...Dont Be Pathetic !

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needsalife says...
3:33am Tue 18 Sep 12

WHat about this situation.? Another baby has lost his life whilst seeking a better way of life. What Is happening to our young people, what are choosing to settle differences with a knife or gun. If it had to get physical, whats wrong with fisticuffs? Is that not considered manly enough Hess days. What sort of man spends his life in prison? That is just cowardice, get up and get going to a better life.
Rest in peace Kevin. You did not deserve this.

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Indigenous UK Pensioner says...
9:46am Tue 18 Sep 12

ONe time it was our civil defense units and locals who took up a rms to protect us from invaders across the cha nnel that was the only time in my memory that we armed ourself now we see thugs on our street with knife as casual way of life we need the death penalty returned to my country and 10 yr if caught carrying a knife in public.THank you.

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bible scoffer says...
10:25am Tue 18 Sep 12

Indigenous UK Pensioner wrote:
ONe time it was our civil defense units and locals who took up a rms to protect us from invaders across the cha nnel that was the only time in my memory that we armed ourself now we see thugs on our street with knife as casual way of life we need the death penalty returned to my country and 10 yr if caught carrying a knife in public.THank you.
...indeed 'war-hero' didn't tony blair once say - 'anyone found carrying a knife - would get five years in gaol' ...what happened there then ? ...somone forgot to tell tone there was no more spare prison places to house all these criminals!! all hot-air - in the meantine young people are being killed!!

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TIGGY-LEWISHAM says...
9:00am Wed 19 Sep 12

Come on, obvious a nice kid wouldn't run away, no matter what the situation, i got a 14 yr old, he got it tough too, wouldn't dream of running away though! this kid hated rules and regulations, hated being told what to do... caused trouble before he got on that 202, and the boys followed him! stabbing him should not have happened, my friend's son was murdered a couple of years so this does happen to people you know, its not just newspaper chat! but don't call him a nice boy when he was not!!

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TIGGY-LEWISHAM says...
9:04am Wed 19 Sep 12

bible-scoffer, jails are full of terrorists & london rioters.... no room for the thug that carries a weapon.... send terrorist home, make room for our own crims !

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donski41 says...
12:46pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Your comments a foolish "tiggy" !!! Did you know this child.......... He went to school with my son , he still attended school even after leaving home!
Do something constrictive with your time BE KIND.

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TIGGY-LEWISHAM says...
5:59pm Wed 19 Sep 12

no i never knew him and thank god my son never as well,, trouble maker through and through! thats why the dad had so much 'good ' things to say, coz no 1 else would !! and donski41, you did not even say anything positive really either, apart from even when he RUN AWAY, went AWOHL., still attended school, and the teachers and parents did not get him to return home and be a good boy? excellent school, and fab parents.. so where was the 14 yr old staying while attending school? weird story, what goes around comes around,,,

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donski41 says...
7:37pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Tiggy...........
You absolute dope!!! You're everything wrong with this country, your friend lost a child, so would it have been ok for people like you to have judged that situation ?
With friends like you lol
I won't be responding to you again, I don't waste my breath on cold people. A CHILD has been killed you fool......
And your making yourself look stupid.

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Tamara-lewisham says...
10:34pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Twiggy for someone who did not know the Child or reasons why he ran away you are a very ignorant person and should hold back on what your small mind has concluded as you DONT know the facts.The only REAL fact is that a young boy was killed.Considering the time of his disappearance 13th of July , this would have been the start of the summer holidays many kids.So stop with all your disrespect and think about how his family would be feeling reading nasty small minded comments like yours,as you should know first hand how life shattering something like this ,as you said your own friend went through losing a child.

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dowhat? says...
9:42am Thu 20 Sep 12

the father claims he was asking for his son to come home for "his" birthday? the father lives in catford yet the boy was missing from his own "home" in south norwood? bit confusing mates? 2 homes mmmm

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needsalife says...
12:29am Fri 21 Sep 12

SO what? Dowhat. Nowt wrong with two homes. Anyway, tiggy-lewisham, what's the matter? If you hate Kevin for a reason, let it out tell all you s**t.

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catz48 says...
6:54pm Fri 21 Sep 12

A child aged 14 died , he had his whole life in front of him and its gone , deepest sympathy for all that cared about him x

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GreenTiger says...
8:50pm Fri 21 Sep 12

TIGGY your posts are abhorrent.

Have some respect, you are talking about the death of someones child.

I met Mr Ssali today, what a humble and forgiving man.

R.I.P Kevin.

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alli159 says...
10:33pm Fri 21 Sep 12

tiggy your comments are disgusting !! How would u feel if this happened to your 14 year old and someone who didn't even know him started slagging him off !!! I hope your never in this position, your just a sad nasty person and I can't believe an adult is talking about this poor child the way u are !!!

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Guess who ;) AGAIN ! says...
11:34pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Some of the comments above are from the resident BNP scum trolls who post on the NS. Thats how low they really are.


RIP young man.

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toomush2drink says...
9:45am Sat 22 Sep 12

Yet another black on black crime, nothing to do with the bnp "guess who".

A poor lad has been murdered and he wont be the last as its all about respect init ?

Time to face facts within the black community,knife crime is on the rise as is gun crime.

And before you all shout racist im white and most paedos are white but i dont take offence to that fact as its true.

A lot of black guys i work with cant get their head around the black on black hate out there,ive witnessed enough against my colleagues too.

We should all be asking how we can change this hateful thinking,criminal sentences have no deterrents because of the mindset of the criminals committing the crimes.

I feel for anyone who loses a son regardless of colour but we must tackle the real issues if anything is to change.

Report this post »

GreenTiger says...
10:10am Sat 22 Sep 12

toomush2drink wrote:
Yet another black on black crime, nothing to do with the bnp "guess who".

A poor lad has been murdered and he wont be the last as its all about respect init ?

Time to face facts within the black community,knife crime is on the rise as is gun crime.

And before you all shout racist im white and most paedos are white but i dont take offence to that fact as its true.

A lot of black guys i work with cant get their head around the black on black hate out there,ive witnessed enough against my colleagues too.

We should all be asking how we can change this hateful thinking,criminal sentences have no deterrents because of the mindset of the criminals committing the crimes.

I feel for anyone who loses a son regardless of colour but we must tackle the real issues if anything is to change.
Knife crime is naff all to do with 'black on black' crime.

Knife crime is not new, teenage boys stabbing each other is not new, I remember it happening during the 70s and 80s to the point that it would even happen IN school.

The papers love to report anything that perpetuates the myth that knife crime as a problem is something new and caused by black people.

Go and google 'knife crime in Scotland'

As im sure most will know Scotland is vastly white with the black population being only 0.16%

Knife crime is a social/economic issue not a black one.

Report this post »

Guess who ;) AGAIN ! says...
11:06am Sat 22 Sep 12

toomush2drink agreed the crime had nothing to do with the BNP but do you think the comments from the same BNP trolls are needed ?
They are nothing more than cowards leaving snide comments where a young lad has been murdered. Thats typical Brewer and Daley though, gutless retards. I remember when a certain south London gangsters black stepson was murdered, they never said a word on that one. I wonder why.
There is a problem with black on black knife and gun crime, all the BNP are interested in is using that for their own agenda though.

Report this post »

toomush2drink says...
9:54pm Sun 23 Sep 12

GreenTiger wrote:
toomush2drink wrote:
Yet another black on black crime, nothing to do with the bnp "guess who".

A poor lad has been murdered and he wont be the last as its all about respect init ?

Time to face facts within the black community,knife crime is on the rise as is gun crime.

And before you all shout racist im white and most paedos are white but i dont take offence to that fact as its true.

A lot of black guys i work with cant get their head around the black on black hate out there,ive witnessed enough against my colleagues too.

We should all be asking how we can change this hateful thinking,criminal sentences have no deterrents because of the mindset of the criminals committing the crimes.

I feel for anyone who loses a son regardless of colour but we must tackle the real issues if anything is to change.
Knife crime is naff all to do with 'black on black' crime.

Knife crime is not new, teenage boys stabbing each other is not new, I remember it happening during the 70s and 80s to the point that it would even happen IN school.

The papers love to report anything that perpetuates the myth that knife crime as a problem is something new and caused by black people.

Go and google 'knife crime in Scotland'

As im sure most will know Scotland is vastly white with the black population being only 0.16%

Knife crime is a social/economic issue not a black one.
Ok fair enough but locally it is an issue just as white on white crime in scotland is.Remember this is the newshopper website not a national site hence my very relevant comments.
I agree nationwide it probably is a social problem but locally is a different issue.
An article

2 years old seems to agree.
http://www.telegraph
.co.uk/news/uknews/c
rime/7856787/Violent
-inner-city-crime-th
e-figures-and-a-ques
tion-of-race.html

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