Hewitt backs mother of dead boy over video game violence

The Trade and Industry Secretary said today that age restrictions on computer games are not enough to protect teenagers from extreme violence, after one title was blamed for the killing of a boy by his schoolmate.

Patricia Hewitt's comments came after Dixons, Currys and PC World and the retailer Game pulled Manhunt from their shelves today when the parents of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, said that their son's killer had been obsessed with the game and appeared to have copied it.

Warren LeBlanc, 17, lured Stefan to his death by telling him that they were going to meet some girls in Stoke Wood Park, Leicester.


But once there, LeBlanc, who was described as an exemplary pupil by a former headmistress, struck his friend from behind with a claw hammer, stabbed him in the neck and side and then dragged him into the bushes and stabbed him again. He then stripped the victim. LeBLanc was detained for life yesterday.

Manhunt, made by Rockstar Games for Sony PlayStation, Microsoft's Xbox and the PC platform, is rated 18 but is banned in New Zealand.

It features a "hero" who wins points for murdering people before they can murder him - with more horrific deaths earning higher scores. The game features decapitations and brutal stabbings.

Ms Hewitt, who is also the MP for Leicester West, said that she had been keeping an eye on the case for some time as Stefan's mother was one of her constituents.

She said: "I have kept in close touch with Giselle Pakeerah since the brutal murder of her son Stefan and my deepest sympathies are with her and her family.

"Although it would be wrong to comment on the details of the case still before the court, as a mother myself I share her anxiety about the violent computer games that too many teenagers are exposed to.

"It is illegal for retailers to sell these games to under 18s, but we all need to do more - manufacturers, retailers, parents and schools - to protect our young people from immersing themselves in images of extreme violence."

The penalty for retailers selling an age restricted videos to those underage is a £5,000 and up to six months imprisonment.

Stefan's father Patrick, 41, a civil servant, said yesterday: "Stefan's murder compares to how the game is set out, using weapons like hammers and knives. The object of Manhunt is not to just to go out and kill people. It's a point-scoring game where you increase your score depending on how violent the killing is.