A mother who fled from cartel violence in Colombia is considering a return to South America after her teenage son was fatally stabbed at a London house party. Alejandra Saldarriaga, 32, moved her family to Haringey just three years ago in pursuit of a “better future” for her two children. But she has been forced to put her “dreams on pause”, after her 15-year-old son Brayan was murdered last month in a fight that reportedly broke out at a bank holiday house party in Hackney.
Ms Saldarriaga told the Daily Mail: “It was supposed to be safer here. As a mother I always wanted my children to have a better future. We left Colombia with hopes, but that wasn’t the reality for us.” Her home city - which has not been named for safety reasons - is a Colombian cocaine trafficking hub with one of the highest murder rates in the country.
She explained: “For the children to be in London, it was an opportunity that arose for us that would mean we could all succeed together. But sadly, that wasn’t the reality for us. The reasons why we came here, our hopes, our dreams have been put on pause. There are lots of things I am now questioning. Do I stay? Do I go? I’m not sure - I’ve not made a decision.”
Brayan had asked his mother permission to attend the party last month, but despite intending to return home at 8pm, he never came back. He was later found with stab wounds near Poplar Close. At the time, videos circulated on social media of Brayan lying on the ground as onlookers filmed him. Two teenagers have been charged in connection with the murder, with one of them also being charged with possession of an offensive weapon. Neither have been named because of their age.
Ms Saldarriaga said: “His friend called me that night to tell me what happened. I felt like I was dying alongside him. It's been very difficult for me. His little sister keeps asking why he hasn't come back. She sees me crying and she tells me it's going to be okay because he's an angel up in heaven.” The family has since started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the funeral costs, which is on hold as the murder investigation takes place. Ms Saldarriaga said her son was “very fun, very happy, and very friendly,” and had many goals since moving to the UK in 2023.
Brayan is one of a number of young people who have been caught up in rising violence across London. Met Police figures last year found that the number of offences involving those aged between 10 and 14 was on the rise. Brayan’s best friend, who remains anonymous, told the Mail that “it is not safe” as a teenager in London. Colombia has a long history of conflict between cartels and government forces and continues to see violent crime.
Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in the Hackney area, said: “Our thoughts are with Brayan’s loved ones and we absolutely recognise their pain and distress as they grieve. Our priority is always to ensure victims and their families are treated with dignity and respect, while also conducting thorough investigations to bring the perpetrators of crime to justice. Officers are tackling serious criminality in Hackney. This year violence with injury offences have fallen by 58 per cent, compared with the two-year average. But we recognise there is still more to be done and officers will continue to work hard to relentlessly target offenders and protect local residents, so we can prevent further families going through the tragedy of a murder of a loved one.”
