Bereaved families back call for review of causes of knife crime

Families who have lost loved ones as a result of knife crime have backed a call for “swift and drastic” action from the Government to help prevent further deaths.

Victim Support Scotland is demanding a comprehensive review into why young people become involved in knife crime, and how effective current programmes are at preventing it.

The charity also wants to see a review of the current controls around the sale of knives, and for bleed kits – which can help control bleeding after an attack – to be more widely available.

The calls have been backed by Lisa Petrie, whose son John McNab, 22, was murdered by a teenager with a hunting knife in Leith last year, and Neil McCrimmon, whose 16-year-old son Kory was fatally stabbed in Glasgow’s east end in 2024.

Ashleigh Mullan, whose brother Peter Mullan, 30, was murdered in Edinburgh in 2023, also spoke out in a video by Victim Support Scotland on the issue.

She described the loss of her brother to knife crime as “indescribable”, while Mr McCrimmon said: “You try to hold it together but you can’t, your heart has been ripped out.”

Ms Petrie, who has been handing out bleed kits in memory of her son, told of the support she had received in the wake of his death.

She said: “On the one hand I lost my baby, but then I have gained an army.”

With Victim Support Scotland highlighting the increase in convictions for possession of bladed weapons over the last ten years, Ms Petrie added that people are coming together to “take a stand and say ‘there needs to be change’”.

First Minister John Swinney insisted that tackling violence within communities “is an absolute priority for my government”.

While he said he could “not begin to imagine the pain of those who have lost a loved one to knife crime”, he added: “Scotland is a safer place than it was 20 years ago, but we must continue to do all we can to focus on tackling violence and knife crime and getting over the message it is never OK to carry a weapon.”

But Debbie Adams, director of development and external affairs at Victim Support Scotland, said: “Too many people are needlessly losing their lives to knife crime in Scotland.

“Ashleigh, Neil and Lisa have bravely shared their stories in the hope of changing attitudes to knife crime and preventing it from happening in the first place.

“They, and other families impacted by knife crime, are united in their determination that nobody else should have to experience the trauma and heartbreak of losing a loved one in this way.”

The charity provides specialist support to families bereaved by crime, and Ms Adams said doing so means staff “witness first-hand the devastating ripple-effect of knife crime”.

She said: “It goes beyond individual grief and trauma, spreading within families and throughout wider communities.

“Swift and drastic action must be taken to support community initiatives throughout Scotland, to help prevent these crimes from occurring and reduce the likelihood of offending.

“This is why we are calling for a comprehensive review of knife crime and its root causes, a reassessment of knife sale controls, and national provision of bleed kits across Scotland.

“The Scottish Government must commit to decisive, concrete, evidence-based actions if we have any chance of preventing more people having their lives taken by knife crime.”

Swinney, who was in Leith for talks with superintendent Neil Wilson at Leith Police Station, said his talks had “highlighted the importance of prevention, early intervention and ensuring young people get the support they need before they become involved in violence”.

The First Minister vowed: “We will continue to do all we can, alongside Police Scotland and other partners, to prevent harm, support those affected and build safer communities.”