Mural in tribute to murdered teenager unveiled at his former primary school

A mural paying tribute to a murdered schoolboy has been unveiled at his former school.

Olly Stephens, 13, was ambushed and fatally stabbed by a boy of the same age on Bugs Bottom grounds near his home in Emmer Green in January 2021.

The mural at Emmer Green Primary School was created by artist Peachy Official in collaboration with the school and its parents, Stuart and Amanda Stephens, both 55.

It features a portrait of Olly's first day at school with a rainbow, a rose and a butterfly.

Next to a stencil of Olly and a blue balloon is an artwork inspired by a painting he did, which reads: “Music makes you move” and “You can do it with music!”

Ms Stephens said: “It’s a piece of art he did in his final year of primary school. We found it in his drawers, hidden with paint after he passed away. We also found an Eminem CD. He always loved music and lots of different genres. Stuart and I grew up in the 80s and he listened to all the music we listened to. It wasn’t until after he passed away that we realised he had quite a playlist.”

Ms. Stephens gave a speech to friends and family and thanked principal Tonia Crossman for giving permission to paint the mural, second-grade teacher Ellie Hayden for contacting Peachy and the artist himself.

She said: “He captured Olly so well, his eyes, his cheeks and his smile, it's uncanny. It tugs at your heartstrings. His attention, his talent and his drive have created a mural that is so alive, so full of Olly, that it takes my breath away. It fills my heart with joy to see Olly back in the playground on Olly's wall.” The large rose and rainbow reflect Olly's funeral, which took place at Reading Crematorium in Caversham and was followed by a reception at St Barnabas Church in Emmer Green.

Ms Stephens said: “Red roses have become a symbol for Olly. They were laid on the hearse at his funeral and when a memorial bench was installed for him at Bugs Bottom. A rainbow formed on the day of his funeral.”

She said the school was a “very special place” that helped care for and nurture children and that Olly would always stand up for his friends and those less fortunate.

Ms Stephens added: “He had no tolerance for prejudice or harassment. Unfortunately, this got him into trouble on many occasions.”

Olly's parents continue to campaign for children to be protected from harmful content on social media, after it was found to have contributed to his death. The Online Safety Act was passed in October. Ms Stephens said: “We thought for his own safety we would give him a phone. It was the worst thing we could have done. For any child, access to the internet, to social media platforms, offers no protection.

“When we realised that the world Olly lived in, both online and offline, was so dangerous, we had to do something to help protect other children and raise awareness among parents, teachers and other professionals.”

The couple have worked with Thames Valley Police, setting up Olly's Place in Bugs Bottom and appearing in a BBC Panorama documentary. They have campaigned in Parliament to raise awareness of knife crime, working with the Ben Kinsella Trust and Reading Borough Council, among others. The couple have also worked with local groups, including Parenting Special Children Reading, Grassrootz and Giveback FC. Ms Stephens said: “We will continue to campaign and work at a local level. This work includes lobbying for agencies to share information that could save lives.”

They have now written to primary schools to encourage them to help children enjoy a smartphone-free childhood.

In the letter, they say they first gave Olly a smartphone when he was in Year 5, when he started going to school without it.

“We didn't anticipate how addictive the phone would become, he wanted it all the time. His cell phone became another sticking point to manage, as did his time spent on his Xbox. It was a battle to get him to wean himself off both devices.”

They say Olly's murder was planned online by children aged 13 and 14 who sent him violent threats. The couple also say that since starting their campaign they have been shocked by what they have discovered.

They write: “There is currently no protection for our children online. They can be manipulated, criminally exploited, subjected to forms of body dysmorphia, encouraged to self-harm and commit suicide.

“Social media algorithms are smart and will force harmful content into the feed. Often, this harmful content ends up in our children’s news feeds without them looking for it.

“We know that we have failed our children, we have robbed them of their innocence and their childhood, we have failed to protect them.

“We will regret this for the rest of our lives and will continue to campaign in this area until we are sure that the danger has passed.”