Ben was marking the end of his GCSEs when his life was tragically cut short.
A former EastEnders star has vowed to fight against knife crime, 17 years after the heartbreaking loss of her teenage brother to a fatal stabbing.
At 41, Brooke Kinsella is urging the public to take action and play a part in ending knife violence, determined to ensure that no one else has to endure the same “trauma and pain” she has faced.
Brooke Kinsella is an actress and knife prevention campaigner
Brooke has been campaigning against knife crime after her brother was killed
A childhood photo of Ben Kinsella and his sister Brooke
Friends of Ben laid flowers at the scene where he was killed in 2008
Brooke gained recognition for playing Kelly Taylor on EastEnders from 2001 to 2004.
After her younger brother Ben was tragically stabbed in 2008, she and her parents established a charity dedicated to preventing knife crime in his honour.
Ben, only 16 at the time, lost his life in Islington, North London.
He had been out marking the end of his GCSE exams when an altercation broke out at a bar, leading to him being pursued by three men.
The teen – who had no part in the dispute – was knocked down and repeatedly stabbed.
Jade Braithwaite, Michael Alleyne, and Juress Kika were each sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 19 years for Ben’s murder.
To honour his memory, the Ben Kinsella Trust was founded by his family and is now spearheading Knife Crime Awareness Week, which begins today.
This nationwide initiative will see charities, victims’ families, law enforcement, and the Government unite in a fresh and determined effort to combat the UK’s growing knife-crime crisis.
The initiative is designed to assist police forces nationwide as they continue to fight the surge in knife-related violence.
In the midst of this crisis, reports reveal that children as young as eight are bringing knives to school and even stabbing one another over disputes such as video games.
Experts believe that approximately one in every 20 children has carried a knife at some point.
This comes alongside stricter measures to curb the online purchase of knives, following the tragic killings of three schoolgirls by Axel Rudakubana, who acquired his weapon through an internet order.
Brooke said: “Ben has now been gone from our lives longer than we ever had him. It’s been seventeen years since his murder and the pain never stops. He should be in the prime of his life.
“Through the Ben Kinsella Trust, our family has relentlessly pursued the goal of ending knife crime, but we know that we can’t do this alone.
“Knife Crime Awareness Week highlights the work that is being done to help tackle this and to ensure other families don’t experience the trauma and pain that we all went through. I’d encourage everyone to get involved, because we all have a role to play in stopping knife crime.”
16-year-old Ben Kinsella, who died after being stabbed repeatedly
Ben Kinsella’s sisters Jade, Brooke and Georgia protest at escalating knife crime in 2008
The campaign is also being supported by Axon, a longstanding public safety partner to UK policing, the charity The St Giles Trust, the Home Office, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
Among those supporting the campaign is Pooja Kanda, the mother of Ronan Kanda, who was fatally stabbed in 2022 also at the age of just 16.
He was walking back from his friend’s house after buying a Playstation controller when he was set up by the teens.
Footage showed two hooded assailants ran up behind him clutching a ninja sword and machete.
The boy was just yards from his home in Wolverhampton when he was stabbed twice by Prabjeet Veadhesa, 17.
He collapsed in the road and died from catastrophic injuries after being knifed in the heart.
His mother said: “Losing my son Ronan to knife crime has left an unimaginable void in our lives. Knife Crime Awareness Week is a crucial time to remember all those affected by this senseless violence.
“We must educate our young people about the devastating consequences and build a society where carrying a knife is never seen as an option. Let Ronan’s memory inspire us all to take action and build a safer, brighter future for every child.”
The Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention Dame Diana Johnson is also supporting the campaign.
She said: “We cannot let the irreversible pain and suffering caused by knife crime become inevitable in our society. This government has a mission to halve knife crime over the next decade and we are acting with urgency – we have already banned more deadly weapons and are bringing in Ronan’s Law, which will go further than ever to curb the sale of weapons online.
“Through our Plan for Change, we are also developing a Young Futures programme to intervene earlier to prevent young people going down the wrong path.
“But we cannot achieve this alone and initiatives like Knife Crime Awareness Week are so important in focusing public attention on tackling this crime.”
Patrick Green, the CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said knife crime isn’t “unavoidable”.
He said: “It’s easy to feel that knife crime can never be stopped. Relentless increases in statistics can create the impression that it’s an unavoidable part of society. However, Knife Crime Awareness Week demonstrates that this doesn’t have to be the case.
“The week showcases the positive impact of organisations and individuals working to tackle knife crime, proving that change can happen. Stopping knife crime requires a collective effort, and Knife Crime Awareness Week provides the opportunity for everyone to contribute.”
Commander Stephen Clayman, the NPCC lead for Knife Crime said: “Whilst we will also do more to restrict the supply of certain knives and swords, particularly online, we are clear that policing alone is not the long-term solution. Prevention and early intervention remains absolutely vital.
“By working hand-in-hand with communities, families, and partner organisations, as highlighted during this crucial awareness week, we can collectively do more to address the root causes of knife crime and build safer futures for our young people.”
In January, families of knife crime victims slammed the Mayor of London’s knighthood, calling it a “joke.”
This criticism came after The Sun exposed that, under Sadiq Khan’s leadership, the city experienced the highest recorded surge in knife possession cases.
Brooke Kinsella at the funeral of murdered teenager Ben
The Kinsella family (left to right) Holly, father George, Jade, Brook, Georgia, Christopher and mother Deborah, outside the Old Bailey in London in 2009