A mother who brought her family to Britain to escape cartel violence in Colombia is considering moving back after her teenage son was stabbed to death at a London house party.

Alejandra Saldarriaga, 32, said the dreams that brought her family to London just three years ago had been ‘put on pause’ after Brayan, 15, was murdered in Hackney on May 25.

‘It was supposed to be safer here,’ she told the Daily Mail. ‘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.

‘My son studied, learnt the language and made a lot of friends. He was a marvellous boy, full of life. He had many goals.

‘He was very fun, very happy and very friendly. His teachers had no complaints about him or his studies.’

Brayan was among a crowd of teenagers at a Bank Holiday house party in Hackney’s Mabley Green area when it is understood a fight broke out.

He was found with stab wounds in nearby Poplar Close, where witnesses reported seeing a figure in black running away carrying a large machete. Despite the efforts of paramedics, he died at the scene.

‘He asked me for permission to go to the party. He was only allowed to go out if he asked,’ said Ms Saldarriaga, who has set up a GoFundMe page to cover the cost of her son’s funeral. ‘He was meant to come back at 8pm. But he didn’t come home.

Brayan was among a crowd of teenagers at a Bank Holiday house party in Hackney's Mabley Green area when it is understood a fight broke out
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Brayan was among a crowd of teenagers at a Bank Holiday house party in Hackney’s Mabley Green area when it is understood a fight broke out

Screaming revellers sprinted away from the scene on the residential lane and towards Hackney Marshes
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Screaming revellers sprinted away from the scene on the residential lane and towards Hackney Marshes

‘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 ongoing murder investigation means Brayan’s body has not yet been released to the family by the coroner – a painful delay for a devoutly Catholic family from a country where the dead are traditionally buried within 48 hours.

In Britain, when a murder is suspected, the coroner holds legal control of the victim’s body to conduct a forensic autopsy and gather evidence.

Two teenagers have been charged in connection with Brayan’s murder, with one facing an additional charge of possession with an offensive weapon, neither of whom can be named because of their age.

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