15-year-old Christopher Ikolo seriously injured in racist attack

Christopher Ikolo was returning to Holyrood Secondary School in the Catchcart area of Glasgow following his lunch-break when he was accosted by a man who screamed abuse at him and called him a ‘black bastard’. The man then attacked the teenager and proceeded to stab him in the hip. Despite his injury, Christopher managed to run back to his school, pursued by his attacker who gave up chasing him when he finally reached the school's sports centre and called for help. Christopher, who had to have surgery for a life threatening injury to his kidney, described his fear that he might die: "As I waited for the ambulance, I started to find it harder and harder to breath and I thought that I might die. I was worried what might happen to my mum and my little brother, Yohan. I care for him and look after him, so I was scared about what would happen to him if I died and so I refused to give in and fought to stay awake."

Christopher and his mother, Beiotsi and 6-year-old brother, Yohan had moved to Scotland five years ago from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Police confirmed that the incident was an unprovoked “racially aggravated” attack. Last year, there were 168 racist incidents carried out by young people in Glasgow. Since 2004, 433 young people have been reported to the Children’s Panel for their association and involvement in racist attacks.