Anti-knife crime film featuring Leeds mum whose son was stabbed to death shared with thousands of young people

Sarah Lloyd, whose son Kieran Butterworth was stabbed to death in Harehills in 2013, and ex-gang member/ex-young offender Vilson Duarte-Dong are the subjects in the film, which has been distributed to hundreds of schools and organisations since it launched.

The film, “Cut Short: Fighting Against Knives in the North”, aims to educate young people on the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife by sharing Sarah’s story of grief and loss and Vilson’s experience of overcoming and escaping Leeds’ gang culture.

The film is being promoted as the British government unveiled fresh measures to ban zombie-style knives this week.

Sarah, who has campaigned against knife crime since her son died, previously told the YEP: “Young people are carrying knives because they think it makes them safer. They don’t realise that the consequences of using a knife are far, far worse.”

Vilson added: “It doesn’t only affect people who are directly involved with the crimes. It affects everyone around them. Everyone should be concerned about this.”

The team behind the project, which was launched last November have worked with experienced partner organisations to co-develop the Cut Short film and an accompanying teaching package.

Both are being distributed freely to any youth facing organisation to engage young people on the issues and so far the package has been delivered to over 230 organisations across the country with a combined estimated audience of over 158,000 individuals.

For more information and to watch the trailer go to the Cut Short website.