Knife crime: Family of Owen Dunn launch 'Check Your Children' campaign

Owen Dunn suffered "catastrophic" injuries in a stabbing on 4 December 2022

The family of a teenager who died after being stabbed have launched a campaign to educate parents about knife crime.

The campaign, called 'Check Your Children', was recently started by the charity Owen's World, which was set up after the death of Owen Dunn.

Owen, 18, was fatally stabbed in Swindon in December 2022.

"It's really important to speak to children," Owen's aunt Gemma Page said. "If he had opened up to us, we could have helped him."

Ms Page added that Owen had "kept a lot of things to himself".

"We lost someone because he hid stuff from his mum. We would have sorted it and kept him safe," she said.

Owen Dunn's aunt, Gemma Page, said they could have helped him if he had "opened up to us"

Jo Davis, CEO of Owen's World, said the campaign, which is being backed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), hopes to inspire parents to "build an open relationship with their children".

Part of the campaign has involved making educational videos and speaking to parents directly.

"Parents are responsible for their children," Ms Davis said. "We need to educate.

"A lot of kids feel if they go out with a knife, they're protected, but you're not, you're much more likely to get injured.

"It starts with the parents."

Jo Davis said the charity wants to reach out to parents and guardians who have concerns about young people in their family

The campaign will teach parents a number of signs to look out for, which may indicate their child or children are involved with knife crime.

Natasha Gell, serious violence duty co-ordinator for Wiltshire and Swindon, said these include children disengaging from their usual friendship groups and forming new friendships, especially with older people.

Having multiple phones, new clothes or unexplained money, spending more time than usual online and becoming secretive are also signs parents should look out for, she added.

"Nobody wants to report their child to the police," Ms Gell said.

"It's important for members of the public to remember that the police are really engaged with recognising that many children and young people are being criminally exploited into criminal activity."

'Still grieving'

Owen was cycling to meet his girlfriend when he was attacked by two balaclava-clad youths with machetes. They have since been found guilty of murder.

During their trial the jury was told Owen was also carrying a weapon, which was later found by paramedics.

Ms Page said: "As his auntie, I used to have conversations with Owen about his life.

"He was quite open with me, but there were things he did hide which I could have helped him with.

"He thought he could deal with everything on his own.

"We're all still grieving, we completely miss him. The crutch we have is Owen's World, it keeps his memory alive."