McCann, who of course is still tormented by her own loss - the disappearance of her daughter three years ago - shared a sympathetic hug with Barry and Margaret Mizen on the steps of Westminster Cathedral.

The Mizens showed immense courage as they spoke of their ‘incredible pain’ at the service staged on the second anniversary of their son’s death and attended by Prince Charles.

Mrs McCann wept as Mrs Mizen described her last minutes with Jimmy and how she had always told him she loved him.

She was personally invited by Mrs Mizen because ‘they were both mothers who had lost their children'.

The Mizens called for more to be done to stop young people being murdered in the UK.

Jimmy was murdered the day after his 16th birthday, trying to avoid a fight, two years ago

Kate McCann is fast approaching the three-year anniversary of daughter Madeleine McCann vanishing on a family holiday to Portugal

At the service, led by the Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, the Mizen family spoke movingly of Jimmy.
 

Family members of murdered teenagers
Ben Kinsella, Rob Knox and Damilola Taylor
were also present.
 

They all met Prince Charles at a private reception afterwards.
 

Mrs Mizen said: ‘To all the mothers, take your babies and your children in your arms every day and tell them how much you love them.
 

‘We told Jimmy how much we loved him on his birthday the day before he died and he told us how much he loved us – it was a beautiful thing.’
 

Hundreds of relatives, school children, police and members of the public packed the cathedral for the service for peace.
 

The Archbishop urged politicians to set aside their differences in order to tackle youth crime.

He said: ‘As things stand detailed programmes of policies of each party do not fit together. Co-operation is needed if we are to progress.

‘Building a legacy of peace is something to which we must all subscribe. And even this weekend another young man, Marcin Bilaszewski, was stabbed to death in Finsbury Park – the eighth teenager to die in this way in the last six weeks.

We know that there is too much violence in our lives. We know there are too many knives on our‘ streets.

Prince Charles arrives at the service held in the memory of all young victims of knife and gun crime

We know there are too many injuries and deaths caused by them.
 

‘Building a legacy of peace involves change in all of us. Each of us has to be part of this legacy.’ 
 

Jimmy was murdered in May 2008 when he went out to buy a lottery ticket with his older brother Harry near their home in Lee, south east London.

He was celebrating having turned 16 the day before and the pair stopped at Three Cook's Bakery for something to eat.
 

While there, Jake Fahri – who had been cautioned by police several years earlier for harassing Harry – brushed past the brothers and the trio became involved in a scuffle.
 

Fahri, now 20, a heavy cannabis smoker and school dropout, tried to attack them with an advertising sign before hurling a glass dish at Jimmy.
 

It smashed into his neck, severing his jugular vein. The teenager died in his brother's arms in the shop and when his mother rushed to the scene, she fainted at the sight.

 

The Mizen family have set up a foundation in memory of Jimmy to prevent youth violence.

Comments (26)

Jimmy Mizen was murdered in tragic circumstances through no fault of the parents. Madeleine McCann was taken because her parents chose to leave her alone. There is a big difference in these two cases and Kate McCann's prescence makes a mockery of the event.

- CC, London, 11/5/2010 9:21

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At last Kate McCann is now thinking of other mothers who have lost children and not just herself.

- Teresa Lewis, Cardiff, UK, 11/5/2010 9:19

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Oh for goodness sake! Is Kate McCann going to go around hugging every bereaved parent in the world until her own conscience is salved?? ENOUGH!

- Chel, S. West, 11/5/2010 8:46

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We know what happened Jimmy, he rests in peace. We need to know what happened to Madeleine so she can rest in peace.

- Ann, Earth, 11/5/2010 7:14

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This story confuses me. What was Kate McCann doing there? Is she a personal friend of Jimmy's mum?

Once again I note she leaves the twins again. or do she now live in London. How very odd.

- N Williams, UK, 11/5/2010 6:23

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Why was Kate McCann intruding into this sad occasion, which was for the family and friends of someone with no connection whatsooever with her or her position. It seems to me that she is cultivating delusions of being the next Princess Diana.

- Kate Evans, Nottingham, England, 11/5/2010 5:12

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What a generous woman Mrs Mizen is, our love, thoughts and prayers must surely go out to her and all mums who have lost their children but I'm afraid and somewhat ashamed to say, I do find it very difficult to have any sympathy with the McCann woman who lost her own poor dear child, a mere baby, through her own and her husband's negligence.
She was never seen shedding a tear for her own child, how come she can do it now for someone else's child?
I don't think however hard she tries to seek public sympathy will she ever evoke the feelings in people that these other poor mothers do. Perhaps I'm too hard hearted but I don't think I'm alone, maybe the 'red arrows' will tell me differently.

- Can't resist it, Shropshire, 11/5/2010 0:37

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How gracious and charitable of the Mizens to accept comfort from Kate McCann.

- MK, London UK, 11/5/2010 0:33

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these things will continue until real punishment is brought back. real punishment that the public and watch!


p. bloomberg
old man
glendale, a

- p. bloomberg, glendale, ca usa, 11/5/2010 0:25

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What the hell was a woman guilty of abandoning her child so she could go out for a meal and drink alcohol doing talking to a mothers whose child was murdered. Kate McCann had no right to be their, she lost her daughter through neglect, this other family had their child murdered. Their stories are miles apart, innocent parents VS negelagent parents.

- ml, southampton, 11/5/2010 0:16

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There is no comparison between the two families. Jimmy was old enough to go out and about and was murdered in broad daylight.

Madeleine disappeared whilst her parents left her and her siblings alone in an unlocked apartment, in a foreign country during the night.

- jojo, swansea, 10/5/2010 23:36

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OooooH Please no more about the McCanns.
I was surprised when the volcano erupted on Iceland that the McCanns did not get a mentuion.
Enough is enough.
When is it going to end.

- Jon, Cleveland, 10/5/2010 23:22

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So... will the UK be banning glass dishes along with knives and guns?

- Dredd, Los Angeles, USA, 10/5/2010 23:21

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The heartache and tragedy of the children that have been murdered is very sad.

- Pip Waller, North Yorkshire, 10/5/2010 22:57

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The Mizen family are a wonderful example to everyone of us

- Maureen, Liverpool, 10/5/2010 22:47

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A very dignified family.

- Sarah James, Bath, UK, 10/5/2010 22:46

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So incredibly sad, and as a mother I can't imagine how it must feel to lose a child. My heart aches for these mothers.

- tia, north west, 10/5/2010 22:20

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This is extremely tragic for all those who have lost loved ones through knife crime and my heart goes out to every family who has had to bury a child/brother/sister. Even yesterday another teenager was stabbed to death in London. This government has got to act on the increase of knife crime, it cannot be swept under the carpet because things are only going to get worse unless a strong deterrent is put in place. I dread what this country is going to be like in 5 years time if violent crime isn't prioritised.

- Amanda, Birmingham, 10/5/2010 22:02

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So sad. God love them.
Mrs Mizen, I will do as you say , I'll hug my babies extra hard tomorrow and tell them I love them .

- sarah, here, 10/5/2010 21:59

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The worst thing about a child dissappearing is the fact that you have no idea whether they are in safe hands, evil hands, or at peace at death.
If i was in a situation like this, i would find it easier to know the child is dead and out of harms way, the worst through my mind would be paedophiles and abusers, I just couldn't live with myself. I really hope they find this little girl, whether it now or in 10/20 years time, if she is alive i hope she has been taken care of by a family who desperately wanted a child and went the illegal route, and if she is not, i hope she could have a proper burial.
Someone in the world knows where she is, and the amount of money for someone to give information is so high its so strange that noone has come forward.
RIP to the little boy x

- stacey, wales, 10/5/2010 21:52

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what remarkable people the mizens are

- liz, dumbarton, 10/5/2010 21:44

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This is not the first time the dignity and decency of the Mizen family has moved me to tears. They are extraordinary people and the fact that Jimmy was obviously so very loved, and knew that he was, must have been a comfort to them as they mourned his terrible loss.

To see them comforting Kate McCann is so moving. God bless them all. Their suffering and loss is unimaginable.

- Glam Gal, Sussex, 10/5/2010 21:37

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I feel sorry for the family and can not believe what is happening these days but when we use asbo's as a punishment it shows what a joke we have become.

- Adam, Dorset, 10/5/2010 21:11

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My heart goes out to these families.

- Cathy, England, 10/5/2010 20:45

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I'll donate to any fund for Justice and would want lottery money involved.
It won't happen in our PC society as only the bad people get funding.

Condolences to all the victims families, I hope something positive results from this.
A very sad story but any publicity helps.

- Arkley Barnet, Still here, 10/5/2010 20:39

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This event was for the Mizen family and although they `may` have invited Kate McCann, they also invited many many other parents who have lost their children to violent crime.

- shelley, Redhill, 10/5/2010 19:48

NEWS MAY 2010