Youth dies weeks after stabbing

A 14-year-old boy has died three weeks after being stabbed in south-east London, police have confirmed.

David Idowu was attacked in Great Dover Street, near the junction with Becket Street, in Borough, on 19 June.

He died at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel having suffered stab wounds to his chest and stomach.

A 16-year-old youth from Catford, south-east London, appeared in Camberwell Youth Court last month charged with attempted murder.

David is the 19th London teenager to die violently this year.

Prison term

The number of recent stabbings has prompted reactions from the police and politicians.

The Metropolitan Police have set up a unit specifically to deal with knife crime.

Conservative leader David Cameron said anyone caught carrying a knife without a good excuse should expect to go to prison.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has argued that anyone over 16 caught with an illegal knife should be prosecuted, rather than escaping with a caution.

His Justice Secretary Jack Straw said ministers would review sentencing guidelines on knife crime, when they come into force on 4 August.

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