Teenager thought he might die after racist knife attack

Christopher Ikolo was knifed in broad daylight on Glasgow's southside after his white attacker screamed racial abuse at him.

The 15-year-old, who moved from the Democratic Republic of Congo to settle in Scotland five years ago with his mother, Beiotsi, 39, and brother, Yohan, six, was stabbed in the hip as he returned to school from his lunch break.

He described yesterday how his attacked screamed "black bastard" before knifing him.

Ikolo added: "I was walking down the lane and he was coming the other way.

"When he got abut 10 feet away, he started saying things and calling me a black bastard.

"I reacted and we started fighting. He was losing the fight but then he pulled out the knife. I remember seeing it and I tried to run away but then I felt a sharp pain in my hip."

Ikolo, who eventually managed to escape and find a teacher, added: "I told him what had happened. He called the police and then an ambulance came and took me away."

The teenager added: "As I waited for the ambulance, I started to find it harder and harder to breath and I thought that I might die.

"I was worried what might happen to my mum and my little brother, Yohan.

"I care for him and look after him, so I as scared about what would happen to him if I died and so I refused to give in and fought to stay awake."

The boy was heading back to classes at Holyrood Secondary School at around 2pm on Friday in the Cathcart area of Glasgow when he was attacked.

He was kept in hospital overnight but released yesterday afternoon and is now home with his family.

The assault happened as Ikolo was walking down a narrow lane between Aikenhead Road and Polmadie Road.

He added: "I like it here in Scotland and have lots of friends. I feel safer here, even though I have been stabbed.

"In Congo, there are gunshots going off all the time and you are much more likely to be killed there than you are here."

His mother, Beiotsi said: "When I heard what had happened my heart sank. I was shocked, scared and angry. I am just glad it was not worse. He could quite easily have been killed.

"The police have to punish this person to show other bad boys in the area that they cannot do this."

It is thought that passing motorists may hold the key to identifying the attacker as he is believed to have dashed in between cars on the busy Aikenhead Road as he made his escape.

The location of the stabbing is just yards from one of the city's busiest police stations.

Yesterday, a spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police confirmed they were treating it as a racist incident.

She said: "Following a review of the law, as a matter of course, we treat any crime that appears to be racially motivated as such until proved otherwise."

Detective Sergeant Debbie Johnstone, who is heading the investigation, added: "This was an unprovoked attack on a young boy and I would appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have witnessed the attack to come forward.

"I believe the suspect may have run on to Aikenhead Road and passing motorists or pedestrians may have seen something which could help us in this inquiry."

One resident said he was appalled to hear of the incident as the area had not previously had any history of racist conflict.

He said: "It is shocking a boy could be stabbed because of the colour of his skin. I have never had any problems from any of the schoolkids and hope the police catch the guy responsible."

Another woman, who lives close to Holyrood School, said that she was alerted to the incident after hearing a commotion in the road outside her house.

She added: "All of a sudden there were kids everywhere along with police and ambulance people.

"It is normally quite quiet around here and it is horrible to think something like that has happened so close to your home."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "An incident involving a fourth-year took place outside Holyrood Secondary. The matter is being investigated by police."

Holyrood Secondary School, which is predominantly Catholic, claims to be the largest school in Europe, with around 2,300 pupils.

Last year, there were 168 racist incidents carried out by youths in Glasgow and since 2004 a total of 433 youngsters from the city have been reported to the Children's Panel in connection with such attacks.