Britain’s Labour Leader Announces New Ban on Ninja Swords in Latest Effort To Stem ‘Knife Crime Crisis’

Owning a ninja sword, even if it is stored in a private home, will soon be a jailable offense in Britain, the country’s prime minister, Kier Starmer, has announced.The move is part of a wider crack down on what government officials call a knife crime crisis in the United Kingdom. “Knife crime is at epidemic levels and is ruining lives across Britain,” Mr. Starmer said. It will be illegal to possess, manufacture, import, or sell ninja swords starting on August 1. The statute is being introduced in Parliament on Thursday.The Conservatives rejected a ban on ninja swords when they were in control last year, citing their use by military historians, collectors, and for commemorations. They also noted that only around 1 percent of knife crime fatalities in 2023 involved a ninja sword, according to the Mirror.The majority of ninja swords have a blade between 14 inches and 24 inches long with one cutting edge. Anyone caught in possession of one, even in their own home, could face six months in prison, a punishment that would increase to two years under a new crime bill currently before Parliament.A penalty of up to four years in prison for carrying any weapon in public is already on the books in Great Britain.Ninja sword owners will be paid to hand over their weapons as part of a surrender scheme, the government says. Any sword purchased before Thursday would be eligible for the program that will begin in July.The latest weapon ban is part of Ronan’s Law, which was aimed at tackling the online sale of knives. It was named in honor of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was stabbed to death near his Wolverhampton home in 2022. Two teens who had purchased swords online killed Kanda in a case of mistaken identity.“Since losing our beautiful boy Ronan, we have relentlessly campaigned for a ban on ninja swords,” his mother, Pooja Kanda, said. “We believe ninja swords have no place in our society other than to seriously harm and kill.”The Labor party has pledged to cut the amount of knife crime in half in a decade.It has introduced a number of measures including restricting the ability to buy knives online, requiring multiple pieces of identification to buy a knife, and punishing people accused of “irresponsibly” selling knives.Ronan’s Law will also require online retailers to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives to the police. The government is also considering making retailers who want to sell knives get a license.Another proposal would fine executives from online platforms that fail to remove knife crime content.Knife violence is approaching a record high, with approximately 55,000 incidents in England and Wales last year, according to the Telegraph. Officials say they are trying to break the behavior of youth carrying knives.“Knife crime is destroying young lives as too many teenagers are being drawn into violence and it is far too easy for them to get a hold of dangerous weapons,” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said.

Britain’s Labour Leader Announces New Ban on Ninja Swords in Latest Effort To Stem ‘Knife Crime Crisis’

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