THE FAMILY of 15-year-old Toyosi Shitta-bey, who was stabbed to death five months ago in west Dublin, have been forced to move out of their home after receiving a racist death threat in the post.

Gardaí have launched an investigation to try and establish who sent the correspondence to the house in Tyrrelstown, west Dublin. The family has moved to a new home in west Dublin.

"The letter said something like 'we will kill you if you don't go'. That is why we moved. I was very afraid, I do not want anyone to threaten my family," Toyosi's mother, Bola told the Sunday Tribune.

"We gave the letter to the gardaí. I will never forget my son for the rest of my life. He was taken from me too soon."

Toyosi's father Segun said the family was still trying to come to terms with their enormous loss.

"We got a threatening letter. We gave it to gardaí. We were called names in it and told to leave. We got it in the post. It was written by hand," he said.

"I do not think Irish people are racist. There are good and bad people in every country. There are bad Nigerian people and there are bad Irish people. We have gotten a lot of support from the people of Ireland."

He added. "We put tape on our letter box after we got the letter in case someone tried to put something else through the door. It is better we have moved now. It is still hard for us to understand what happened. He was only a small boy."

On Tuesday, two brothers charged in relation to the 15-year-old's killing had the charges against them upgraded to murder. Paul Barry (39) from Pearse House on Dublin's Pearse Street had previously been charged with the manslaughter of the teenager at Mount Eustace Crescent, Tyrrelstown.

The charge of manslaughter against Paul Barry was replaced with one of murder at Blanchardstown District Court on Tuesday. Michael Barry (24) from Pigeon House Road, Ringsend, had previously been charged under Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act with possession of a hockey stick. Michael Barry was also charged with murder in addition to the previous charge.

The threatening letter received by the Shitta-bey family is in no way linked to the Barry brothers.

Fifteen-year-old Toyosi Shitta-bey was studying for his Junior Cert at Hartstown Community School. He was a talented soccer player, playing for Shelbourne Football Club and Insaka-Ireland Football, the football club for African children in Ireland.

Bola said the family had received letters of support from all over the world offering condolences in the aftermath of the tragedy.