Harvey Willgoose's sister speaks out about bid for boy who murdered him to be named
The sister of school stabbing victim Harvey Willgoose has responded to claims that the bid for her brother’s murderer to be named would not “achieve” anything.
15-year-old Harvey suffered a fatal stab wound to his heart during an incident in the courtyard of All Saints Catholic High School, where he and his killer were both pupils, shortly after the lunchbreak began on Monday, February 3, 2025.
Jurors convicted Harvey’s killer of murder on Friday (August 8, 2025), following a five week trial at Sheffield Crown Court. The teenage boy had admitted Harvey’s manslaughter, along with an additional charge of possessing a bladed article on school premises, prior to the trial beginning - but denied murdering him.
A reporting restriction placed on the case due to the boy’s young age, under Section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, means it is currently not possible for the press or the public to name him. The reporting restriction will remain in place until the defendant’s 18th birthday - years from now - unless it is lifted.
As the trial got underway, the judge, Mrs Justice Ellenbogen, amended the reporting restriction to allow the press to report that both Harvey and the defendant were pupils at All Saints, after it was argued that having to omit that detail - along with any evidence arising from it - would result in a significant and unreasonable restriction on reporting.
Caroline and Sophie Willgoose, Harvey’s mum and sister, respectively, have both spoken publicly on television shows including ITV’s Good Morning Britain about why they believe the defendant should be named.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, August 12, Caroline said: "Harvey hasn't been here to speak up for himself and he's been named. So, I think the defendant should as well."
The Star has also submitted a formal application to Mrs Justice Ellenbogen, requesting that the reporting restriction is lifted when the defendant is sentenced on October 22, 2025.
Amongst the reasons cited in the application is the hope the defendant being named will act as a deterrent, knife crime concerns and the fact Harvey’s reputation was publicly attacked through claims made during the trial, whilst the defendant’s has remained in tact, due to his anonymity.
Now, Sophie has responded to comments from those who have questioned what naming Harvey’s killer would “achieve” or who have said “it’s not gonna bring Harvey back.”
“I honestly wonder if they know what we are going through,” said Sophie in a post on Facebook.
Detailing the reasons she believed Harvey’s killer should be named, Sophie added:
“ 1. Harvey’s name and death was published minutes after the incident, to which my mum found out via social media before being told by the police.
“2. Due to this we had journalists turning up at our families house hours after the tragic incident and we had no privacy.
“3. There has been many false accusations flying around for the past 6 months about Harvey. So why can’t his name be associated with the cruel act he carried out?
“4. Harvey’s names ok to be revealed but his isn’t. They are the same age? Only difference is one is still alive.
“5. This is because of his age. If he wants to act like a big man then he should serve the big man consequences
“6. People saying his family will receive backlash - well we have had so much hate online and offline. Booting family members doors, grown women approaching my mum and screaming in her face. Where was our privacy?
“7. He will get a new identity anyway
“8. The public deserve to know the name
“9. He’s a MURDERER why are we protecting him?!
“10. He denied murder therefore shows no accountability for his actions. So ????”
The Star spoke with Harvey’s family for the first time in a pre-arranged interview during the course of a trial, when Caroline detailed her reasons for campaigning for knife arches to be installed in schools.
She said: “I want people to sign to get knife arches in all schools because this can't happen again.
“We know after all this that there are knives in schools…children knew all that and they were frightened.”
She is calling on people to support an online petition which now has in excess of 52,000 signatures, but needs to hit 100,000 in order for the matter to be formally debated by MPs in Parliament.
“We need to change things. I know it goes deeper than knife arches, but get knife arches in and then get us into schools educating kids of the devastation on both sides…where there’s no winners. There’s no winners here,” said Caroline.
Responding to the campaign, which is also being supported by Sophie, justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said: "It is something that terrifies me.
"I don't think anyone could have heard the testimony of Caroline and Sophie and not be moved."
Ms Davies-Jones said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is looking at the family's proposals on knife arches.
She said she was "really keen" to examine the family's experience of the criminal justice system.
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