Concerned at the level of knife violence in the country, with a significant portion of that coming from domestic abuse-related stabbings, British authorities have come up with a “violence prevention” program where sharp knives are swapped out for dull knives.
Anyone who has been threatened at knife-point at home will get these special “no point knives” courtesy of the Nottinghamshire Police. According to authorities, the pilot anti-knife program will hopefully reduce knife-related violence, reported the Independent.
A Nottinghamshire Police supervisor said, “We do see a fair amount of knife-related incidents in domestic abuse, not just on the streets. This is a measure we need to take. We want to reduce that risk. It is a trial. We have about 100 of them – and we have so far given out about 50. The knife is blunt at the end – but still functions as a knife – so you can’t stab someone.”
Theoretically, by having blunt knives, people who elect to remain in abusive relationships will avoid becoming a victim: “People will stay in a relationship after some serious episodes of domestic abuse. They may stay together for children, get back together, or might get back together when they are out of prison.”
Of course, one problem is that by removing knives, you remove potential weapons but you also remove a way for the victims to protect themselves. However, the program is voluntary and domestic violence victims get to say if they want to swap out sharp knives for dull ones.
However, according to Sky News, the founder of Victim Focus, London-based advocacy for domestic violence victims, was blunt (pun intended) in her assessment and called those behind the program “morons.”
She wrote on Twitter: “I feel like we are getting dumber and dumber around domestic violence. So you gonna leave her in the situation but nip round to provide the offender with some blunt knives?… IN DV [domestic violence], ANYTHING IS A WEAPON, YOU MORONS.”
And if the victim’s risk exposure is so obvious that police see a need to replace her cooking utensils, then more appropriate measures such as counseling, arresting the offender, or referring the victim to a victims rights organization might be better.
British police have been alarmed at the “wave” of knife violence that is sweeping the United Kingdom, a country where guns and other weapons are strictly prohibited. Just last year, for example, Nottinghamshire suffered more than 900 knife-related violence with 150 of those cases related to domestic abuse. Other jurisdictions across Britain face similar numbers and one can clearly conclude the knife crime is increasing.
London’s knife problem is particularly out of control. The conservative party reported last month that knife crime in the city has risen over 50 percent since London Mayor Sadiq Khan took office. And the murder rate in London has now topped New York City’s, the first time in nearly two hundred years.
Recommended Video!
“She Turned To Food To Cope With Being Abused As A Child And Ballooned To 570 Lbs”