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(CNN) - The two fatalities of a terrorist attack near the London Bridge were graduates of the University of Cambridge, the London Metropolitan Police said Sunday.
Saskia Jones, 23, and Jack Merritt, 25, were involved with Learning Together, a network of academics and criminal justice organizations, which organized an event at Fishmonger's Hall where the attack began on Friday.
- This is what we know about the London Bridge attacker
Merritt worked as a course coordinator for Learning Together and Jones volunteered for the group, police said in a statement.
Jones' parents said she was "a funny, kind and positive influence at the center of many people's lives," in a statement shared by the police.
“Saskia had a great passion for providing invaluable support to victims of criminal injustice, which led her to the point of recently requesting the police graduate recruitment program, wishing to specialize in supporting victims,” said the family.
In another statement, Merritt's family said he was "eager to build a future with his girlfriend, Leanne, and make a career helping people in the criminal justice system."
His family criticized the conservative government's plans to review Britain's sentencing system after the attack.
"We know that Jack would not want this terrible isolated incident to be used as a pretext by the government to introduce even more draconian sentences to prisoners, or to detain people in prison for longer than necessary," they wrote.
Merritt and Jones were fatally stabbed by Usman Khan, who was attending the event that celebrated the fifth anniversary of Learning Together, police said. Three other people, a man and two women, were also injured in the attack.
Police said Sunday that one of the injured has returned home, while the other two remain in stable condition in the hospital.
Khan was shot dead by police after leaving the building and heading to the north side of the London Bridge, where a group of passers-by knocked him down.
Merritt's father, David Merritt, initially acknowledged the death of his son in a tweet on Saturday.
“You were a beautiful spirit that always sided with the helpless,” wrote David Merritt. Since then you have deleted the message.
Merritt's friends lamented his death on social media. He was described as a loving young man, committed to social justice and equality, and working for a better justice system.
Mayor praises the heroes who subjected the attacker
The attacker faced several people who sprayed him with liquid from a fire extinguisher and wielded an apparent fang of narwhal that was taken from Fishmonger's Hall.
- London terrorist attack: the heroes who faced the suspect
British transport police confirmed on Saturday that one of the passersby was a civilian officer. They said the officer disarmed Khan of one of the two knives that he thinks was tied to his hand.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said the group used everything they could find to prevent the attacker from damaging others.
“And I think what we should do is reflect on the fact that these people ignored all the advice they were given, which is to flee from danger, to ensure their own safety. And instead they ran into danger to make sure others were safe. And I am as incredibly proud as the mayor, and I think we should all be proud of our fellow citizens, ”the mayor told reporters on Saturday.
The mayor said a Londoner of Polish origin was among the group of people who intervened.
"We saw yesterday an example of the worst of humanity: the actions of this terrorist," said Sadiq Khan. “But we saw many examples of the best of humanity. And when I say the best of us, I include EU citizens. And what we saw yesterday were ordinary citizens, including Londoners of Polish origin, he is a Londoner who acted in an extraordinary way. And I am very proud of him. ”
The political debate is unleashed
The issue has become a political ball in the period before the general elections of December 12. The two main party leaders accused previous governments of failures in the justice system.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who served as secretary of Foreign Affairs in the last conservative government, said Sunday that it was "repulsive" that the attacker Khan was released after being convicted of terrorist crimes.
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr program, Johnson said: "I regret the fact that this man was on the streets."
When Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn was asked on television on Sunday if he believed convicted terrorists should serve their full sentence, he said "not necessarily" and "depends on the circumstances."
Corbyn told Sky's political program, Sophy Ridge, that an examination of “how our prison services work and crucially what happens when they are released from prison” was needed, and noted that no parole service was involved in the monitoring of "this type of person".
Corbyn added that "the prison should be a place where people are locked up ... but also a place where there is rehabilitation," and said it was necessary to "adequately fund the prison service."
Khan had been released from prison last year with an ankle monitor after serving less than half of a 16-year sentence.
In 2010, he was among a group arrested in London for an "al Qaeda-inspired plot" and was accused of planning the opening of a terrorist military training center under the guise of a madrassa, or educational institution, on a ground in Kashmir that It was owned by his family, according to court documents.
Khan pleaded guilty in 2012 to the charges. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in the case, but was released in December 2018.
The sentencing judge called Khan and two other "more serious jihadists" than the rest of his group, adding that, in his opinion, they would remain an "important risk" to the public, even after his sentence.
To adequately protect "public safety," the judge said that Khan's release under license could only "be decided, as soon as possible, at the end of the minimum period" in prison, and imposed an indeterminate sentence for his release.
The British Parole Board said in a statement on Saturday that it appeared "to have been automatically released with a license" without a parole hearing.
A meeting of the government COBRA committee, which includes national security officials, took place on Sunday, where Johnson was updated on Friday's attack, PA Media reported, citing a Downing Street spokesman.
Schams Elwazer contributed to this report.
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