Three children stabbed to death each month with average age of victims now just 14

By SHAUN WOOLLER, EXECUTIVE HEALTH EDITOR Published: 23:30, 20 April 2026 | Updated: 23:30, 20 April 2026 Three children die each month from knife injuries in England with the average victim now just 14-years-old, an alarming study reveals. There has been a concerning rise in fatal stabbings among those aged 17 and under, from 21 deaths in 2019/20 to 36 in 2023/24. Most resulted from a single puncture wound and typically involved victims who were previously known to authorities, according to the first national analysis of its kind. Researchers describe knife crime as a ‘significant public health concern’ and say their findings show action could be taken to prevent future tragedies by targeting children who face ‘adversity and marginalisation’. The team, from Bristol Medical School, examined the demographics and injuries associated with the deaths of 145 children and young people under the age of 18 who died from knife wounds in England between April 2019 and March 2024. They analysed data from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) together with hospital, social care and police data to identify potential strategies to reduce the number of knife fatalities. Of the 145 lives lost, 90 per cent were male, with an average age of 14.4 years and 110 (75 per cent) were from areas facing the greatest levels of poverty. Around one third (32 per cent) of those who died were black, and another third (31 per cent) were white. Harvey Willgoose, 15, was stabbed to death in a knife attack at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield in February last year. When analysed on a population basis, young people of black or black British ethnicity were around 13 times more likely to die of knife-related injury than children and young people who were white. Most children who were victims of knife-related deaths were involved with statutory services - such as social services or the police - prior to injury, according to findings published in the journal Emergency Medicine Journal. There have been a number of high profile stabbings involving children recent years. Mohammed Umar Khan, 15, murdered Harvey Willgoose, also 15, in a knife attack at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield in February last year. And Hassan Sentamu, 18, murdered 15-year-old Elianne Andam with a kitchen knife in a row over a teddy bear in Croydon, south London, in September 2023. Of the 57 cases available for detailed analysis, injuries to the chest and neck caused 75 per cent of deaths and 60 per cent died before reaching hospital. Two thirds of those who died suffered a single stab wound. Researchers found adverse childhood experiences were common among young people, with a history of domestic violence and abuse the most frequent. Elianne Andam, 15, was stabbed to death after meeting friends before school in Croydon, South London. A quarter of children (24 per cent) lived with an adult with mental illness, and nearly a third (31 per cent) lived in a household with substance abuse. Gang involvement was mentioned in a third of case files, and concerns about carrying knives were recorded in a quarter (25 per cent) of cases. Lead author Dr Tom Roberts, an A&E clinician at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: ‘Knife-related fatalities among children and young people are a significant public health concern. ‘Our research identifies where action could be taken to prevent future tragedies and demonstrates the urgent need to support children facing adversity and marginalisation. ‘Despite frequent contact with services, many children received no targeted support for adverse childhood experiences, especially domestic violence and abuse, revealing major gaps in early intervention.’ Co-author Dr Edd Carlton, also an A&E clinician at the same trust, added: ‘Our findings show how dangerous carrying a knife can be, a single stab wound can prove fatal. ‘It also emphasises the urgent need for prevention strategies that address the social, environmental, and structural factors behind these deaths.’ Dr Lynn Thomas, medical director at St John Ambulance, said: ‘These findings are deeply troubling and underline how devastating a single stab wound can be, particularly when it causes severe bleeding. ‘When someone is bleeding heavily, minutes matter and many of these children died before reaching hospital. ‘While preventing violence must remain the priority, we also need to ensure people nearby know how to act in those critical moments. ‘Basic first aid skills to control severe bleeding, alongside access to appropriate equipment in public places, can help give emergency services the time they need to arrive and may reduce the risk of avoidable deaths.’ No comments have so far been submitted. 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