Birthday service for stab victim Leon Francis in Aston
“I often think about what it’s like for his family losing a son to prison.”
Ms Bogle said she was also still struggling with the trauma of Leon’s death.
“It’s hard – I look at my daughter and she looks exactly like him,” she said.
“Seeing her makes me happy, but sometimes it makes me cry.”
The service, on what would have been her Leon’s 26th birthday, was followed by a conference bringing together community experts in education, criminal justice, social policy, business and youth workers to develop ways of helping young people.
Speaking ahead of the event, Ms Ranger, an education consultant, said: “Sadly Leon’s story is indicative of the destructive paths some of our young people find themselves trapped on when they are excluded from school, become part of the criminal justice system and are subsequently excluded from society.
“Leon is yet another victim that can all too easily be forgotten.
“However, both his life and his death emphasises the drastic and urgent need for more preventative, innovative and timely measures to be developed for all young people.
“What is happening to some young people is a catastrophe on the whole community and we all need to do something about it.”
