The brand new legislation got here into impact on Friday in response to an increase in knife assaults and mounting public strain
Ninja swords are actually banned in England and Wales below new legal guidelines that got here into impact on Friday, the UK Residence Workplace has confirmed. Possessing one in public may result in a jail sentence of as much as 4 years.
The change is a part of a wider authorities effort to curb knife violence. Over 1,000 weapons had been surrendered in July throughout a month-long amnesty marketing campaign aimed toward eradicating harmful objects from the streets, in accordance with the Residence Workplace.
The ban follows a collection of deadly knife assaults which have shocked the nation. In 2024, 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana killed three women and injured 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed youngsters’s recital in Southport.
The assault reignited public anger and led ministers to vow more durable guidelines on on-line weapon gross sales, stronger age checks, and bans on sure bladed objects comparable to zombie knives and machetes.
In 2024, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated knife crime was at epidemic ranges and promised to crack down on deadly weapons. He later confirmed ninja swords can be banned and stated the federal government would ship on its guarantees.
The brand new legislation is a part of “Ronan’s Regulation,” named after 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was killed in 2022 with a ninja sword. The Affiliation of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) stated the ban will assist scale back the presence of those weapons, particularly in gang-related violence.
The APCC additionally said that it goals to discover why folks carry knives and easy methods to forestall it, including that the ban provides police additional powers to grab such weapons and shield communities.
Possessing a ninja sword at dwelling carries a penalty of as much as six months in jail, however that would rise to 2 years below a brand new Crime and Policing Invoice at the moment being thought-about by Parliament.
Knife crime in England and Wales has elevated 87% over the previous decade, in accordance with official information issued by Britain’s inside ministry and the Residence Workplace. Within the final 12 months alone, virtually 55,000 knife-related incidents had been reported, a 2% rise from 2023.
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