BYC criticises government’s ‘punitive’ approach to tackling knife crime
Fiona Simpson
Friday, June 18, 2021
The British Youth Council (BYC) has criticised the government’s response to its report on tackling knife crime, accusing ministers of taking a “punitive” approach.
The government laid out its response yesterday (17 June) following the publication of the BYC’s Youth Select Committee’s knife crime report in 2019.
However, the Youth Select Committee has expressed concern that “the government has ignored many of the recommendations made by the group of young people”.
It has criticised the inclusion of the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in the government’s response to its report, saying: “The committee believes the bill works to extend punitive measures and could take more steps to enshrine preventative measures into law."
The government has also been urged to roll back stop and search powers “until the disproportionate targeting of black men has been addressed”.
The committee has called on the government to develop “a plan with clear targets and deadlines aimed at tackling the injustices which make a young person more vulnerable to knife crime” which includes a five-year funding strategy.
Rachel Ojo, chair of the Youth Select Committee, said: “The Youth Select Committee is very pleased to have finally received a response from the government – over a year after our report was released.
“The issue of violent knife crime is one of the biggest facing young people in this country and we are glad that some of our recommendations have been agreed to. However, we feel the government could be doing much more and we implore the government to act on their commitment, to ensure that tackling knife crime is not only top of their agenda but that preventative measures take priority.”
In the government's response to the report, Victoria Atkins, minister for safeguarding, states that the government remains “fully committed” to tackling violent crime among children.
Atkins highlights the government’s “relentless focus” on improving safety in communities including a £130m investment in programmes to tackle serious violence including through violence reduction units.
The government response also notes a £20m extension of the Youth Endowment Fund to “keep children from becoming involved in violence” alongside an investment in alternative provision for children and the promised £500m Youth Investment Fund which is yet to be received by youth work organisations.
Meanwhile, organisations supporting young people have described a bill introduced to the House of Lords calling for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised from 10 to 12 as “a step in the right direction”.
Lisa Smitherman, director of justice at Catch 22, said: “When a child is in contact with the criminal justice system, more often than not it has a negative impact on the rest of their lives. The starting point must be that every child is vulnerable - and that in fact the vast majority of children who are branded criminals are in fact victims of crime themselves. That's why the priority has to be preventing children from being involved in the justice system and addressing the root causes of any harmful behaviour.
“While the UN sets age 12 as a minimum age for criminal responsibility, other countries have set the age much higher. So while the bill is a step in the right direction, there is far more to do."
