The mum of a 15-year-old boy who died days after being fatally stabbed has shared her heartbreak after she did "everything in her power" to protect him.
Whitney Ringrose’s son, Jamal, died in hospital on June 4 after he was found stabbed in Dudden Hill Lane, Dollis Hill, on the evening of May 30.
The 35-year-old claims she had long feared that her only child would come into harm's way after picking up on issues he was facing in Brent, but claims she was not taken seriously by authorities when she was "begging and pleading" for help.
Emails sent by Whitney to bodies including Brent Council have documented her worries, with one email dating back to May 2024.
Within the emails, she details her concerns for her son’s safety as well as her own due to incidents and behaviour she witnessed.
As a result, Whitney initiated talks that would see her and Jamal moved away from London.
She said: "I moved out of London nearly a year ago.
"I moved out of borough because the issues Jamal was facing within the borough of Brent were continuing to increase and his risk was continuing to escalate.
"I was absolutely terrified that something was going to happen to him because he was getting into fights and all kinds of stuff while he was in London."
Whitney recalled how Jamal had an added layer of vulnerability as a result of his "special educational needs", which saw him struggle to grasp "social cues" and be "very susceptible to the assumption that everybody is his friend."
"He had a constant want to be part of something and popular and in circles that he would deem as ‘cool’, so to speak.
"Everything was starting to get a lot more dangerous."
She added: "It wasn’t safe for me and it wasn’t safe for Jamal - we needed to go."
Whilst living in London, Whitney said he had been "chased" to their front door, and had even asked her to buy him a "stab proof vest" in December last year.
She recalled how he would "wear it religiously" during the winter and she would not let him out of the house without it on.
She said: "My priority was, all I wanted to do, was keep Jamal safe."
Despite moving away from the capital she says her son continued to be drawn back to the area, at times going missing and refusing to return home.
She recalled thinking: "If he comes back he is going to do the same thing, he’s going to keep putting himself at risk because he’s not seeing how at risk he is.
"I am seeing it and I don’t understand why the people around me aren’t seeing it.
"Nobody was thinking this was this serious and I was telling everyone, if we do not do something my child is going to die."
On the day of the stabbing, Whitney claims she had spoken to Jamal just 20 minutes before he was fatally injured, after he asked if he could have a friend over to stay.
Now she is calling for a change in attitude and support for young people and their parents, particularly in the face of the knife crime "epidemic" that she feels is "absolutely out of control".
She said: "I do not think I was taken seriously about how vulnerable Jamal was.
"It makes me feel sad and worried for the youth that are still out there living.
"I empathise with the parents of the young people that are still able to walk around and are still involved in that kind of lifestyle, whether it’s willingly or unwillingly.
"It’s very bleak for them. I can’t even put it into words.
"From my own experience, it has been extremely disheartening because so much more could have been done if people listened.
"I feel reassured in myself that I did everything I could and then some.
"I pushed and I pushed and I pushed. I succeeded in getting us moved.
"I really wish that more was put in place for Jamal following him moving.”
She believes some parents are not open to support, but that this support needs to be ramped up for parents who want it and ask for it.
Whitney said: "Some parents are scared of their children.
"I had been through stages with Jamal where I was absolutely terrified of him because they are so unpredictable and because of everything that they are exposed to, their minds are still developing.
"It does play a part in how they behave and what they do moving forward.
"Young people need therapy because of a lot of the things they are exposed to in the home, outside of the home, in the community, at school.
"It all plays a part into their growing and developing minds.
"I don’t think there’s enough safe spaces for young people to really talk about what they are thinking or how they are feeling."
Alongside her calls for further support from local authorities, Whitney wants to see the work done by charities like StreetDoctors to be introduced in schools as part of the curriculum.
The charity works with people aged 11-25 affected by violence or at risk to become part of the solution, providing them with the knowledge of first-aid that could help save someone’s life.
Whitney said: "I think there needs to be more things put in place for the young people, their parents, the community, everybody, so that should these events continue to happen, and the likelihood is that they are going to continue to happen, that we are all equipped to be able to assist and to help and to potentially save a young person from dying.
"I think it’s quite disgusting that when young people are being stabbed and harmed, people are just standing around filming.
"I have been sent numerous videos of Jamal and nobody is doing anything.
"He’s just bleeding out on the floor.
"I get it, it’s children, it’s scary - but then there are adults as well.
"It’s horrible, it’s absolutely horrible."
A public meeting was held on June 15 by Brent Council and the Metropolitan Police to allow for discussions to take place in the wake of the fatal stabbing.
Within this meeting it is understood that reassurance measures were outlined, including increased patrols, extended stop and search powers, additional CCTV, and more.
Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, Cllr Liz Dixon said: "We recognise the profound impact the tragic death of Jamal Ringrose has had on the local community, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
"Brent Council is working closely with the Local Authority where Jamal lived to support an ongoing safeguarding investigation.
"While this review is underway, we are unable to comment further on the case.
"We remain committed to safeguarding children and encourage parents and professionals with concerns about potential exploitation to contact the Brent Family Front Door for advice.
"Our work with partners to tackle knife crime and serious violence continues through a range of prevention and intervention initiatives, including the Knife Amnesty Surrender Scheme, ‘Frank Conversations’ youth engagement, and the Violence and Vulnerability Diversion Programme.
"Bleed control kits have been installed in key locations, and programmes such as Street Doctors are equipping young people with lifesaving skills."
Cllr Dixon maintains that the Council "remains committed" to improving safety, preventing violence and supporting those impacted by this incident.
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