New knife curbs for 12-year-olds as Priti Patel vows to stop ‘scourge’ of blade killings

Powers to tackle crimewave brought in this week after latest London killings
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New powers to stop children as young as 12 from carrying knives were unveiled by Priti Patel on Wednesday as she vowed to do “everything in my power” as a mother to “stop this scourge” of blade killings.

Knife crime prevention orders, which can be deployed in London from this week, will allow the courts to ban children from having knives and impose restrictions on their movements and use of social media.

They will also allow the imposition of curfews and can be used to require young people to take part in educational courses, sports activities, anger management and drug rehabilitation schemes.

The aim is to help them escape the lure of gangs and to divert them from becoming dragged into knife crime before it is too late.

The introduction of the new orders follows a surge in teenage murders in London this year which has resulted in 21 killings so far, including 19 with a knife.

The latest victims, who died on Monday within just over six hours of each other, were named locally today as Keane Harling, 16, who was fatally stabbed in Oval Place in Lambeth, and 15-year-old Tamin Ian, knifed by a group of youths near a bus stop in Woolwich.

On Wednesday, as she announced the start of the new knife crime prevention orders, which were introduced following a request from the Met, Ms Patel said she was determined to do all she could to stop further loss of life.

“Knife crime is a tragedy which rips families apart, and one of the hardest parts of my job is meeting the loved ones left behind,” she said.

“These are mothers losing sons. Siblings losing brothers. Grandparents losing their grandchildren. An entire family’s hopes and aspirations extinguished in one go.

“Tragically 21 teenagers have been killed in London this year, many of them with a knife.

“Too many young Londoners think that picking up a knife is the solution to their problems, with the peak age for carrying a weapon being just 15 years old.

“As Home Secretary and the mother of a boy in secondary school myself, I will do everything in my power to stop this scourge.

“These orders will allow police to ask the courts to ban people as young as 12 from carrying a knife, as well as restrict their movements and use of social media.

“They can also intervene to turn a youngster’s life away from crime – by offering educational courses, sporting pursuits, relationship counselling, anger management, mentoring and drug rehabilitation. These orders are part of my commitment to keep the British people safe.”

The orders carry a maximum two year jail sentence for those who breach them and can be given to a person aged 12 or over who police suspect is a habitual knife carrier or who has been previously convicted of a blade offence.

Critics claimed when the legislation was being prepared that the use of the power on those with no convictions will risk criminalising young people, although the Met has always insisted that its aim is to save children from prosecution.

Met Commander Ade Adelekan said the orders would give police another option and be a “valuable tactic in preventing and tackling violence in London.”

He added: “They will allow intervention at an early stage and divert vulnerable people at risk of becoming serious criminals by supporting them to make better lifestyle changes away from violence.

“Also, they will enable police to monitor the individual and enforce the law on them if they breach it.”

Meanwhile, friends and family of the latest teenage victims paid tribute to the dead schoolboys.

Keane Harding was killed in Lambeth
Instagram

Marian Brain, Keane’s great aunt, wrote on Facebook: “Feeling heartbroken rest in peace Keane. You will be loved and missed by so many. You were taken from us so young. Love to all the family Great Aunt Marian.”

Family members congregated at the crime scene and laid floral tributes. A friend said: “Keane was a good lad. He was fun to be around and was a big personality. We are all devastated.”

In Woolwich, friends of the murdered 15-year-old said he was an aspiring lawyer and described him as “really going places in life”.

They described how a gang from Kent had got off at Woolwich DLR before launching their deadly attack.

One said: “We have no idea why Tamin was attacked, he was a good guy, hard working and really going places in life. He wanted to be a lawyer, he was very smart.”

Another said: “What a great lad he was we just can’t believe it. His mum is devastated.”

The 21 teenage homicides in London so far this year is already well beyond the 15 recorded last year and is instead on course to surpass the record annual total of 29 teen murders in London in 2008.

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