SARAH VINE: 15-year-old's family feel the anguish every parent dreads

today are living every parent’s worst nightmare. It’s hard not to speak in cliches when things like this happen, but my heart bleeds for them.

And all because of what? We don’t yet know about this case other than the fact a teenager has been arrested, but a toxic, macho culture of death and destruction has infected the nation’s youth, fuelled by the misplaced adoration of gang culture fed by TV, films, fashion and pop music – in particular, drill, trap and grime – and enabled by misplaced bleeding heart liberalism and a police force powerless to impose any sort of order.

Almost every parent of teenagers lives in fear of something like today's tragedy happening to their child. At the Notting Hill Carnival a few weeks ago, the son of a friend of mine was set upon by a gang, at least one of whom had a machete. He was injured, mercifully not badly, but it was still terrifying for his poor mother and deeply traumatising for the whole family.

Fortunately for us he had the presence of mind not to fight back: he just handed over the goods and they legged it. But it could so easily have gone the other way.A forensic investigator puts flowers into a container at the scene near the Whitgift shopping centre in Croydon

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