'Knife crime leaves a trail of trauma'

A police district commander has spoken out about the "brutal reality" of knife crime following the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy in Sheffield.

The teenager was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries following an attack in Market Square, Woodhouse, on Wednesday but is now in a stable condition.

Ch Supt Jamie Henderson of South Yorkshire Police said the boy's family had been put through "every parent's worst nightmare, as they did not know if their son would come home".

"A child's life was brought to the brink over a moment of violence that should never have happened," he said.

The statement came just over a year after 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose was fatally stabbed at school by his classmate.

"Behind every incident like this is a trail of trauma with families shattered, communities shaken and futures potentially destroyed," he added.

"We cannot let this happen again."

In the year to March 2024, one in six knife crime offences recorded in the UK were related to children, according to the Youth Justice Board.

"I am deeply concerned by what feels like a growing disregard for human life," Henderson said.

"Carrying a knife is not normal. It is not inevitable. And we must not allow it to become something we simply accept."

He warned that carrying a knife put the individual at more risk as situations could "spiral" and result in violence, and "no argument, no moment of fear or anger, is worth that".

He advised parents to ask difficult questions of their children, saying their involvement could be "the difference between safety and tragedy", and asked communities to speak up if they suspected a young person of carrying a knife.

He added: "We will do everything in our power to find those responsible for Wednesday's attack and bring them to justice.

"But policing alone cannot undo this. This is about values; about the kind of society we want to be."

Knife crime in South Yorkshire reduced by 2% in the year to June 2025, but campaigner Anthony Olaseinde said he felt the situation had got "a lot worse".

He founded the non-profit Always An Alternative to support and educate young people about anti-social behaviour, knife crime and gang culture.

"They're just doing it like there's no consequences to it, they just don't feel the consequences," Olaseinde said.

"When you look at the consequences for certain actions, you can see why… they're just getting away with it time and time again."

He said he felt laws should be "toughened up" alongside efforts to educate young people and adults.

"Parents [need to] be more vigilant, they need to know what they're looking out for," he said.

"Young people need the education, so they understand the potential consequences."

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