THE Scottish Justice Secretary has paid tribute to the youngest coronavirus patient to die in the UK.
Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, 13, passed away in King's College Hospital early on Monday.
The child’s family said they were "beyond devastated" by his death, in a statement released by a family friend.
In a speech to MSPs during a debate on jury-less trials, Humza Yousaf said Ismail’s death was a reminder of the gravity of the coronavirus crisis.
READ MORE: Two teenagers amongst latest Covid-19 death figures
“All of us bear the weight of responsibility for the times that we are in,” the Justice Secretary said. “This is not a time to be bullish nor a time for petty egos or partisanship. All of us – be we Conservative, Labour, SNP, LibDem, Green or independent – we are all part of the national endeavor needed to overcome this virus.
“If ever we needed a reminder of the gravity of the situation, we gather in the chamber the day after the youngest victim of coronavirus passed away in the UK – 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab from Brixton.
“I cannot as a parent nor a step-parent … my step-daughter’s only a couple of years younger than Ismail … imagine the heartache and devastation his family are facing.
“It is with his death and sadly the many that have passed away in Scotland, the UK and indeed globally that we work in a spirit of compromise and a spirit of consensus to do the best we can, collectively, to not just overcome this virus but ensure that our rights are protected.”
Watch his full speech here.
My remarks from yday's debate. Not ashamed to admit I felt quite emotional speaking about 13yr old Ismail Abdulwahab, youngest victim of Coronavirus in UK, his death & the many others serve as a reminder of gravity of the situation & why we must work together to find solutions pic.twitter.com/WxYwpgnUcB
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) April 2, 2020
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