A message from the AYJ in response to the Southport murders and ensuing racist violence

We are shocked and deeply saddened by the racist and Islamophobic violence witnessed across the UK in recent days. Tragically, many of those affected are children. The violence was sparked by the horrific murders of three young girls in Southport, with the accused being a 17-year-old boy. The racist rioting has left racially minoritised children across the country feeling attacked and unsafe, while children as young as twelve are being charged for their involvement in it.

We must question how we arrived at this point, and how we as a society respond and repair harm. The youth justice system must not lose sight of the need to treat children as children, regardless of their offence. Our priorities for youth justice remain essential: ensuring children are kept safe by recognising the link between vulnerability, exploitation and criminalisation; promoting racial justice; and ensuring custody is a last resort. The new Labour government must confront institutional and systemic racism head on. It must put an end to the years of hateful anti-migrant narratives and inflammatory language by the media, politicians, and online that stoked this violence. By supporting children and communities to thrive, the new government has a chance to build brighter futures and stamp out racism and Islamophobia.

We reiterate our commitment to ensuring that equality and anti-discrimination informs all thinking about youth justice and our own work as an alliance. We recognise the impact of discrimination and stand up against the oppressive structures, attitudes and actions that create disadvantage in society. We stand in solidarity with our members, especially those led by and for racially minoritised people, and the children and young people they work with. We are supportive of many statements issued by our members and others in the sector, including: the Youth Justice Board; National Appropriate Adult Network; Criminal Justice Alliance; Agenda Alliance; Runnymede Trust, and others. We would also like to direct members to resources to support those impacted, kindly drawn together by others, here and here.