Female knife possession offences rise dramatically

Knife possession offences involving women in England have risen by at least 10% every year since 2014, police figures shows.

The data, obtained following freedom of information requests, shows that in 2018 there were 1,509 offences recorded - an increase of 73% over the last five years.

Figures for England show that between 2014 and 2018 there were more than 5,800 recorded knife possession crimes involving women.

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Stats from 38 forces out of 39 in England show almost a quarter of recorded offences involved girls under the age of 18 - with the youngest aged seven.

London saw the highest number of possession cases involving women, but parts of northern England have seen female knife-possession crimes increase at a faster rate.

Although the capital recorded a 52% increase over five years, with a total of 916 recorded offences from 2014 to 2018, during the same period, South Yorkshire saw an 82% rise - with 248 offences involving women.

Merseyside Police had a 54% rise, to 499 offences, while the number of offences in Greater Manchester doubled, with 95 recorded offences last year.

The BBC points out that the news comes against a “backdrop of rising knife crime” and after the number of fatal stabbings in England and Wales was last year the highest since records began.

Speaking to the BBC, Theresa John, now 35, admitted she regularly carried a knife for 12 years. She said it “became part of my identity” on the streets in Essex.

“I used to name my knives. When I was 16 I had one that was like a flick Stanley blade and I used to call it Uncle Stan.”

Jennifer Blake, a former gang leader from Peckham, in south London, said: “For some women it's a normal thing to have in your bag, like lipstick.”

Blake, who now works as a community support worker and independent gangs consultant, added: “We have got girls that stab, but it's just like the elephant in the room. No-one wants to talk about it because no one knows how to deal with it.”

Commenting on the data, youth workers have said some women carry weapons for gangs as they are less likely to be stopped by police.