The mother of school stabbing victim Harvey Willgoose has issued a stark warning after three people were stabbed at a school in Manchester. Caroline Willgoose, 51, described knife crime as a 'pandemic' following the attack at Co-op Academy in Blackley on Tuesday, where two 14-year-old pupils and a 27-year-old staff member were injured. A 14-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault, and police say they are not seeking anyone else.
Caroline's response to the attack
Caroline, who has campaigned against knife crime since her son Harvey was fatally stabbed in 2025, said she was 'horrified' by the incident. She told the Manchester Evening News: 'How many times do students or teachers need to get injured before action is taken? The last thing I thought I would be doing was speaking about knife crime, as everyone thinks it is a gang-related thing. But Harvey's and today's again proves it isn't - it is a pandemic.'
Background on Harvey's case
Harvey Willgoose, 15, was stabbed by his former friend Mohammed Umar Khan in the courtyard of All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on February 3, 2025. He lost consciousness and died within a minute. Khan was detained for life with a minimum term of 16 years after being found guilty of murder.
Since then, Caroline has campaigned for metal detector arches to be installed in schools to prevent knives from being brought onto campus. She said: 'They should have gone into all schools as soon as what happened to Harvey. I urge parents to ask their children if they have seen or heard of someone having a knife while in school, and I am sure they will be surprised by what they have to say.'
Call for government intervention
Caroline emphasized the need for government action, stating: 'The government needs to step in now and take control of the situation. How sad is it that the pupil who killed Harvey is suffering in prison, I think he should be, but it is tragic. Children and teachers need to be shown the bigger picture and take it seriously.' She added that reading about school stabbings 'opens up old wounds' and expressed sympathy for pupils and teachers who feel unsafe.
Police response
Chief Inspector Jon Shilvock of Greater Manchester Police said: 'We understand that this incident will have caused concern to pupils, staff and the wider school community. The incident was swiftly and quickly dealt with by staff before officers attended to arrest the girl. There is believed to be no wider threat at this time. Officers will remain at the school and within the area to provide a visible presence and community reassurance.'
