In a decisive move to protect young people from the scourge of knife crime, the UK government has announced stringent new regulations for online retailers selling knives.
These measures, collectively known as 'Ronan's Law,' aim to close dangerous loopholes in the online sale of knives and introduce tougher penalties for non-compliance.
Following a series of tragic incidents where unlicensed online sales of knives led to fatalities, the government is stepping up its efforts to prevent such occurrences. Retailers will now be required to report any bulk or suspicious purchases of knives to the police, helping to prevent illegal resales on social media platforms.
The government is also increasing the prison sentence for selling weapons to under-18s from six months to up to two years. This penalty will apply not only to individuals processing the sales but also to company executives. Additionally, the sale or supply of prohibited offensive weapons, such as recently banned zombie-style knives, will carry the same increased penalty.
Recognising the wide array of knives involved in knife attacks, a new offence of possessing an offensive weapon with intent to cause violence will be introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill. This offence will carry a prison sentence of up to four years, regardless of whether the weapon is legal or not.
To further safeguard against illegal knife sales, the government will significantly strengthen ID checks on the sale and delivery of knives. A stringent two-step verification system will be mandated for all online retailers, requiring customers to submit photo ID at the point of sale and again at the point of delivery. Delivery companies will only be able to deliver bladed articles to the same person who purchased them.
The government will also explore the possibility of a registration scheme for online retailers selling knives, ensuring that only responsible sellers are permitted to operate.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“It is horrifying how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online even though children’s lives are being lost, and families and communities are left devastated as a result.
“Not enough has been done to tackle the online market over recent years which is why we made it an urgent priority in our manifesto and the measures today will be underpinned by investment for a new dedicated police unit to go after those who are breaking the law and putting children and teenagers lives at risk.
“We are honouring our commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law in memory of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022. I am so grateful to the Kanda family for their endless perseverance in ensuring governments take the right actions to protect young people from further tragedy.
“This government has set an ambitious mission for the country to halve knife crime over the next decade and we will pursue every possible avenue to save young lives.”
These measures are named in honour of Ronan Kanda, a 16-year-old who was tragically killed in 2022 in a case of mistaken identity near his home in Wolverhampton. Ronan's killers, who were also teenagers, had illegally purchased lethal weapons online without any age or identity verification. The introduction of Ronan's Law is a testament to the tireless campaigning by Ronan's mother, Pooja, and sister, Nikita, to restrict young people's access to weapons online and protect other families from similar heartbreak.
The government has set an ambitious goal to halve knife crime over the next decade, with a focus on tackling the online space as a core part of this plan. Significant fines, in the region of £10,000, will be imposed on tech executives who fail to remove illegal knife crime content from their platforms. The government is also committed to making prevention a central part of its knife crime action plan through the new Young Futures Programme, which aims to steer young people away from violent crime.
Since coming into power, ministers have acted swiftly to ban zombie-style knives and machetes, accelerate a ban on ninja swords, and address the online market to keep weapons off the streets and out of the wrong hands.
With these new measures, the government is taking a firm stand against knife crime, ensuring that online retailers are held accountable and that young people are protected from the dangers of illegal knife sales.
Image credit: iStock
