New statistics suggest that teenage homicide victims in England and Wales are significantly more likely to be fatally stabbed than any other age group.
In 2023-24, 83% of homicide victims aged 13 to 19—53 out of 64—were killed with a sharp instrument, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This proportion is substantially higher than for all age groups, where 46% of homicides involved a knife or sharp instrument during the same period.
The data reflects a continuing upward trend in teenage homicides involving knives, rising from 56% in 2013-14. Of the 262 knife-related homicides recorded in 2023-24, 40 victims were under the age of 18, the ONS figures show.
The ONS data further revealed that homicides involving bladed weapons reached a decade high in 2023-24. Male victims were more likely to be fatally stabbed than females, with 50% of male homicide victims killed with a knife compared to 35% of female victims. Among the 262 recorded knife homicides, the most commonly used weapons were kitchen knives (42%), followed by unidentified sharp instruments (17%), machetes (7%), and combat or military-style knives (5%).
Government pledged last year to halve knife crime within a decade. In September 2024, England and Wales implemented a ban on zombie-style knives, making it a criminal offense to own, manufacture, transport, or sell them. Additionally, with the introduction of new measures under Ronan’s Law, the government has taken further steps to crack down on the online sale of knives.
Named in memory of Ronan Kanda, a 16-year-old British Indian boy tragically killed in a mistaken-identity attack in Wolverhampton in 2022, Ronan’s Law requires retailers to report suspicious and bulk knife purchases made on their platforms.
The UK Home Office announced the legislation this week following persistent advocacy from Ronan’s mother, Pooja, and sister, Nikita, to prevent other families from experiencing similar heartbreak. Ronan’s killers, also teenagers, had illegally purchased lethal weapons online and collected them from a Post Office without any age or identity verification.
In a conversation with Asian Voice, Ronan’s mother, Pooja Kanda, spoke about the pivotal moment that sparked her campaign. She recalled, “When I sat in the courtroom in 2023, I was shocked to uncover a series of systemic failures that led to my son’s death. Witnessing how a 16-year-old could so easily obtain a 22-inch Ninja sword and seeing how many organisations failed to intervene was a wake-up call. From that moment, I knew something had to change.”
Under the previous Conservative government, Pooja struggled to gain support for banning the online sale of lethal weapons, despite delivering an open letter to the Prime Minister at the time with over 10,000 signatures. “We were able to work much better with our current government, who have supported us,” she said.
She spoke about the overwhelming support she received from the community. “Ronan was a much-loved boy who touched many people’s lives with his fun-loving personality. His case was a real eye-opener, showing that knife crime can happen to anyone—you don’t have to be part of a gang to be stabbed. We urge the community to keep supporting us and to continue fighting against knife crime.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London also provided a statement stating, “The Mayor has consistently called for tougher action by Government to bring in legislation to ban zombie-style knives and machetes, and urgently close the loopholes that could still allow the sale of dangerous knives in shops and online.
“These weapons have no place in our society or in the hands of young people which is why Sadiq welcomes tougher action announced by the Government on retailers last week. It means those caught selling weapons to under-18s could now face a jail term of up to two years.
“Knife crime devastates our communities which is why the Mayor is investing record amounts in the Met Police and tackling the complex causes of crime through record funding for his Violence Reduction Unit. He is determined to build on the progress that has been achieved in London with the number of young people being injured with knives down since 2016. But clearly there is still much more work to do and the Mayor is continuing to work with partners, the police and government to make London safer for all.”
For what should be the next steps, Pooja Kanda said, “Ronans law is one solid step forward with so much still left to do. Ensuring there is no loopholes in the online sale of these knives and potentially introducing a licensing system to further regulate the sale of knives are steps I believe are necessary. We need more community initiatives to highlight the devastation knife crime causes. We must continue to highlight failures so that we can rectify them, ensuring that organisations learn from their mistakes and implement meaningful improvements.”
Bruce Houlder CB KC, the founder of Fighting Knife Crime London, also shared his opinion on where we are missing out on when it comes to combatting knife crime. He said, “Law and order measures do not touch the root cases of knife crime. We must teach children from the moment they can comprehend that this is no way to live; that those who carry are losers, who are just perpetuating the myth that knives can protect you. They only protects if you are prepared to use your knife. Then you might be dead too. To find hours in the curriculum to make children better citizens does not deprive children of learning opportunities. It allows them to stop being afraid. Research shows that most children who are killed with knives die in the few hours after school. Then we all die a little more.”
More about what's next in the #JusticeForRonanKanda campaign here https://gofund.me/cf50e031
