A documentary exploring the killing of 17-year-old private school boy Yousef Makki and the wider issue of knife crime in Manchester airs this weekend.
Hometown: A Teenage Killing is presented by journalist Amber Haque, who returns to her hometown to investigate both his death and the wider issues in the area:
“Reporting on this story has been a really personal journey, full of twists and turns. I never expected to meet middle-class kids carrying knives and to hear that many believe Yousef’s tragic stabbing was not a ‘one-off’ in the wealthy suburbs I grew up in,” said Haque.
“What happened to Yousef Makki in Hale Barns started a conversation that we needed to have in my hometown. About class, race, justice and what happens when you reverse the stereotypes of knives and gang culture. I’ve seen first-hand reporting on this series, that what you wear, how you talk, what music you listen to – is seen as ‘silly fantasy’ in one part of town, but evidence of criminality in another.”
The documentary team has spent 2 years investigating not just his killing, but other stabbings in the area and how there may be a link with “Manchester’s dark past.”
Haque also reveals a confidential report which suggests there was a potential missed opportunity for police intervention.
The series is available on BBC Three Sunday 9th & 16th October and BBC iPlayer.
