Top level police meeting to be held after damning inquest into death of boy, 15, in Sheffield

An inquest into the death of 15-year-old Samuel Baker, who was stabbed to death in Lowedges in May 2018, found that he was ‘let down’ by both Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Police, which failed to protect him from ‘exploitation’ by criminal gangs.

He was stabbed in his chest by another 15-year-old, who was later jailed for two years and eight months after admitting manslaughter.

Coroner David Urpeth said that there ‘numerous missed opportunities’ by South Yorkshire Police and agencies run by Sheffield City Council to intervene and try and help Samuel before he died as result of his involvement in crime.

Instead of being treated as a victim of criminal exploitation by gangs and safeguarded, Samuel was treated as an offender.

He was dealt with by the police for offences including violence, drugs and carrying an imitation gun instead of the force delving deeper and appreciating that he was being exploited by older gang members involved in criminality.

South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, who role is to South Yorkshire Police to account, said: “I note the comments of the coroner at the inquest. He believes there were occasions when the authorities, including social services and the police, could have intervened to make a difference. I can’t comment directly on this - I have not heard the evidence - but clearly, I expect the police to think hard about the coroner’s comments to see whether their approach to troubled young people can be improved, and I will speak to the Chief Constable about this.

“More generally, the coroner’s comments are timely. We know that if young people drop out of school they become very vulnerable. Since many schools are now independent academies, the local authority is not as directly involved as it once would have been and after 10 years of reduced funding its services are very stretched.

“I also regret the fact that youth services have been decimated by government cuts, because many troubled young people were helped by youth workers.

“We are now facing a further period of economic uncertainty when some young people, especially those whose school attendance becomes erratic, will be targeted by drug suppliers and some will be groomed by criminal gangs.

“The police in neighbourhood teams are trained to look for the signs of this happening.

“Also the Violence Reduction Unit we have set up will be working with organisations in the community who seek to steer young people away from gangs and weapons. We know how easily a young person can become involved in criminality and how we must intervene quickly to prevent this, seeing them as highly vulnerable.

“But it will need all of us – parents, neighbours, community groups, youth offending teams, the council, the police – to work together if we are to make a decisive and lasting difference.

“We don’t want other mothers to feel that they are not being listened to and are not getting support, as Samuel Baker’s mother clearly did.”

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