Teenager stabbed to death in London shortly before new knife ban comes into force

Shortly before a nationwide ban on so-called zombie knives came into force, a teenager was fatally injured with a knife in the British capital London. As the London Metropolitan Police reported on Monday, the seriously injured boy was found after officers were called early Sunday evening because of a disturbance in a residential area in Woolwich in the southeast of the capital. He died a short time later.

The number of violent crimes involving knives has risen sharply in the UK. According to police, more than 50,500 such crimes were recorded in England and Wales between March 2023 and March this year, four percent more than in the previous year. Knives or other stabbing weapons were involved in 43 percent of all homicides reported during this period.

On Tuesday, a ban on machetes and so-called zombie knives will come into force in Great Britain. This prohibits the possession of certain knives with a blade at least 20 centimeters long and a sharp point or with a serrated edge, which are often used by criminal gangs. Owners can hand the weapons over to the police without penalty and in return for compensation until the end of the month.

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