Family of Saudi student fatally stabbed decries UK lawlessness

The family of Mohammed Yousef Alqassem, a Saudi student fatally stabbed in Cambridge last week, has warned that the UK is no longer a safe destination for international visitors.

Alqassem, 20, was killed while attending a 10-week English course in Cambridge. A 21-year-old man, Chas Corrigan, has been charged with murder and possession of a knife in a public place and is due to appear at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday.

Alqassem's uncle, Majed Abalkhail, said the victim's father and uncles had travelled to the UK to repatriate his body in coordination with the Saudi embassy.

"Mohammed’s father is currently in Cambridge, accompanied by some of his brothers, to follow up on the procedures for bringing Mohammed home," he told The National.

Abalkhail said the grieving family was facing "deep frustration and growing anger" over rising crime rates in the UK.

"People from various countries, including many in the Arab world, are seriously rethinking any plans to visit or study in the UK," he said. "Britain is rapidly losing its global reputation, not just as a centre of education, but even as a travel destination."

He added: "Sadly, Britain is becoming a symbol of lawlessness, insecurity, and government failure, and this perception is spreading fast among people of all backgrounds".

The "calm" and "kind-hearted" young man who aspired to become a doctor was pronounced dead at the scene on Friday night despite emergency services’ attempts to save him. Cambridgeshire Police said officers were called to Mill Park at 11.27 pm and found him fatally wounded.

His killing comes amid rising concern over violent crime in the UK. Another student, 19-year-old Mohammed Afzal, was also fatally stabbed in Manchester last week. A suspect has been charged in that case, with two other men released on bail and two more still in custody.

The EF International Language Campuses in Cambridge, where Alqassem was studying, said it was "deeply saddened" by the incident and confirmed the victim was one of its adult students.

Although overall recorded crime in the UK remained stable in the year to March 2025 at 6.6 million cases, knife crime and theft have risen.

Attacks involving knives have increased from under 14,000 a decade ago to around 22,000 today. London alone saw 17,000 knife crime offences in 2024 – an 86.6 percent rise in 10 years.

Theft-related violence has also spiralled, with luxury watch thefts and mobile phone snatches becoming increasingly common. Data from SquareTrade Europe found that the UK now accounts for 40 percent of all European claims for mobile theft and data loss.