![\"Swinney](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1749338413_305_0_CapturePNG.png\")
Swinney with youth violence campaigners Vicky and Angela Donald before an earlier summit on youth violence was held this year<\/p>\nThe move comes amid the Record’s applauded youth violence campaign, Our Kids … Our Future – launched two years ago after we highlighted a worrying trend.Swinney with youth violence campaigners Vicky and Angela Donald before an earlier summit on youth violence was held this year<\/p>\n
John Swinney is to host a third summit on an epidemic of youth violence<\/a> in Scotland.<\/p>\n The First Minister has announced that the latest event <\/a>will take place on Thursday, June 12. It will include the Justice and Education secretaries, Ministers for Children and for Victims and Community Safety, cross-party MSPs, youth workers and community programmes.<\/p>\n The move comes amid the Record’s applauded youth violence campaign, Our Kids … Our Future<\/a>, which was launched two years ago after we highlighted a worrying trend of violence among teens. As part of the campaign, we have demanded the Scottish Government to invest in young people and in initiatives to prevent violence.<\/p>\n Since its launch<\/a>, we have reported on the untimely deaths of Kayden Moy, 16, Amen Teklay, 15, and Kayden Moy, 16.<\/p>\n Three teenage boys, aged 14, 15, and 16 years old have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Amen<\/a>, an Eritrean refugee, in Glasgow on March 5.<\/p>\n In recent weeks, three teenage boys \u2013 a pair aged 17, and a 14-year-old \u2013 have appeared in court charged with the murder of Kayden<\/a>, who was allegedly attacked on Irvine Beach, North Ayrshire, on May 17 and died in hospital.<\/p>\n And just last month, a 14-year-old boy was sentenced <\/a>to five years detention after admitting culpable homicide following the death of Kory at Glasgow’s Greenfield Park<\/a> on May 31 last year.<\/p>\n Justice<\/a> Secretary Angela Constance said: \u201cScotland remains a safe place to live.<\/p>\n \u201cBut more needs to be done to change the attitudes and behaviours of some who are at risk of violence<\/a>, or young people considering carrying a weapon.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no place for violence in Scotland and anyone who commits a crime will face the consequences<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cOur work remains focused on ensuring our prevention and punishment measures respond to the changing behaviours of young people<\/a>. This includes ensuring good school and community engagement with young people, appropriate police powers and tackling the root causes of violence.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this meeting we want to hear the views of the youth work <\/a>and third sector representatives on what more, or different, can be done, within the current financial climate, to help address this issue.<\/p>\n \u201cThe role of youth work and grassroots community <\/a>intervention is key.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all must work together to help young people<\/a> feel safe and realise that carrying a knife is never the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n Two previous summits have been held on the topic in recent months, however, the events were later slammed as “nothing but talking shops<\/a>” by campaigners.<\/p>\n A monumental sit-down<\/a> was secured with Swinney after 15-year-old Kaylynn Donald and her mum, Vicky, from Ladybank in Fife, wrote a letter to him following Kory’s death last year.<\/p>\n Kaylynn, who was battered on a bus <\/a>on her way home from school in October 2022, demanded the First Minister to act urgently to prevent further tragedies.<\/p>\n Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.<\/p>\n You’ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.<\/p>\n No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.<\/p>\n All you have to do is click here if you’re on mobile<\/strong><\/a>, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!<\/p>\n If you’re on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click ‘Join Community’.<\/p>\n We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out any time you like.<\/p>\n To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.<\/a><\/p>\n The family wrote to Swinney again<\/a> after Kayden’s death last month and slammed his government’s “inaction” to combat youth violence.<\/p>\n In the letter, Vicky, 38, wrote<\/a>: “How many more children have to die?<\/p>\n![\"Amen](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1749338414_854_0_CapturePNG.png\")
Amen Teklay, left, Kayden Moy, middle, and Kory McCrimmon, right<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1749338415_528_0_CapturePNG.png\")
The Record’s Our Kids … Our Future campaign<\/p>\n![\"Vicky](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_RTP_SDR_280824_OurKids_Swinney_007.jpg\")
Vicky and Kaylynn Donald outside Bute House with reporter Ruth Suter, who has spearheaded the Our Kids … Our Future campaign(Image: Daily Record)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/0_WACOMMUNITYQR3.jpg\")
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