Fatal stabbings account for half of 2023 homicides

Some of those who lost their lives to knife crime in Yorkshire last year

Half of the homicide inquiries in Yorkshire in 2023 were the result of fatal stabbings, BBC research suggests.

Over the course of the year, knife attacks accounted for 27 of the 54 investigations made public. A further two people were shot dead.

In total, 13 of those fatally stabbed were males aged 21 or under, with five of the victims under 18.

Patrick Green, chief executive of anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, called for robust prevention programmes while local policing leaders said they were working hard to curb violent crime.

Data gathered by the BBC from Yorkshire's four police forces revealed that 22 of those fatally stabbed were male and five were female, though causes of death have not been confirmed in four investigations.

The youngest stabbing victim was 15-year-old Alfie Lewis, who was attacked near a primary school in Horsforth, Leeds, on 7 November.

Floral tributes to Alfie Lewis, 15, at the scene of the fatal stabbing in Horsforth, Leeds

The BBC research looked at homicide investigations that took place in Yorkshire only, excluding the northern Lincolnshire area covered by Humberside Police.

Separate Home Office figures for Yorkshire and the Humber, which also includes northern Lincolnshire, show there were 22 fatal stabbings in 2022, 26 in 2021 and 14 in 2020.

The Ben Kinsella Trust, which campaigns for action against knife crime, was set up after the murder of 16-year-old Ben Kinsella in London in 2008.

Mr Green said: “Losing a loved one to knife crime is a life sentence without parole.

"It’s a pain that doesn’t fade with time and it’s a wound that never truly heals.

“Every milestone, every family gathering, every momentous occasion is tinged with the heartbreaking reality that your loved one isn’t there.”

Mr Green said while policing played an important part in reducing knife crime, there needed to be a shift in focus to truly tackle it.

He said: “This complex issue defies simplistic ‘quick fix’ solutions, its roots intertwined with poverty, social exclusion, educational disadvantages and gang culture.”

He called for more investment in youth workers and initiatives that made young people feel “safe, valued, and equipped with the tools to navigate difficult circumstances”.

'Weapons off our streets'

At least 17 fatal stabbings happened in West Yorkshire, the research suggested, of which seven were in Leeds and five in Huddersfield.

Among those who lost their lives was Trust Gangata, 17, who was attacked at a party in Leeds on 19 March in what prosecutors described as a case of mistaken identity.

Trust Gangata, 17, had not been the intended target of the fatal attack, a court heard

Three men were later convicted of his murder, with a fourth man found guilty of manslaughter.

Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: "Every single life lost to violent crime is one too many – causing devastation for families and communities alike."

She said they were "working hard with West Yorkshire Police to address this", through initiatives with a "heavy youth focus".

She said this work had “helped take over 300 weapons off our streets last year”.

Tackling issue 'not easy'

The BBC research also recorded at least seven fatal stabbings in South Yorkshire in 2023, as well as two fatal shootings.

Those who lost their lives included 17-year-old Mohammed Iqbal, who was stabbed with a restaurant knife during a street fight in Crookes Road, Sheffield, on 25 May.

Mohammed Iqbal, 17, died after being stabbed in Sheffield in May last year

Peshawa Ghaffour, 30, was jailed for seven years for manslaughter in November.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said it was one of 20 forces to be awarded additional Home Office funding to tackle serious violence, which was worth £1.2m in 2023-24.

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, said his office supported a range of initiatives to tackle knife crime, adding that changing behaviours was "not easy but remains a top priority".

He said the South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit funded projects in local hospitals and custody suites where mentors met with those who presented with stab wounds to seek to help them escape violent lives.

He said: "Too many young people continue to think that they must carry a knife 'for protection' even though they know that statistically this is not true: they are more likely to become the victim of violence as a result."

There were at least two fatal stabbings in North Yorkshire and one in East Yorkshire, according to the research.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said they were working to restrict the supply of blades and running knife amnesty programmes.

A spokesperson for Humberside Police said they worked with families and partner agencies "to raise awareness through campaigns and to educate communities in the hope of saving countless lives".

The BBC research also indicates that of the 54 homicide investigations known to the media:

• Forty victims were male and 14 female;

• At least four victims died in road traffic collisions and at least one died in a house fire;

• Victims ranged in age from five months to 74 years;

• One was later found to be a non-suspicious death.

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