https://arab.news/v6f93
- Ahmad Mamdouh Al Ibrahim, 16, died in Huddersfield after moving to ‘safe haven’ from Homs
- Family says he dreamed of becoming a doctor to help others after he was injured in bombing
LONDON: A 16-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed in the UK after fleeing war in Syria had dreamed of becoming a doctor, his family said on Tuesday.
Ahmad Mamdouh Al-Ibrahim died in hospital after being wounded in the neck in the northern English town of Huddersfield on Thursday.
The teenager was settling into his new life in the UK after fleeing Homs in Syria, where he had been injured in a bombing.
In an emotional tribute, his family said their “beloved Ahmad” had wanted to become a doctor to help others.
“Ahmad fled war-torn Homs, Syria, after being injured in a bombing,” the family said in a statement released through West Yorkshire Police.
“He chose to come to the UK because he believed in the values of human rights, safety and dignity.
“He was full of hope and dreamed of becoming a doctor — wanting to heal others after all he had endured.”
The family said Ahmad had been living with his uncle and adjusting to a new language, new home and a future “he was excited to build.”
“Ahmad was kind, gentle and carried so much promise. Losing him has left an unimaginable emptiness in our hearts,” they said.
“We never thought that the place he saw as a safe haven would be where his life would end.”
The family said they wished to lay Ahmad to rest in his homeland, Syria.
The tribute was released as a 20-year-old man, Alfie Franco, appeared in Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday accused of Ahmad’s murder. A trial date was set for October.
Police said they were continuing to work with Ahmad’s family and to investigate the stabbing.
