Families urge Scotland to review knife crime prevention

Victim Support Scotland and families bereaved by knife crime are urging the Scottish Government to commission a national review of why young people become involved in knife crime and how well prevention programmes work. They are also calling for a reassessment of controls on knife sales and wider availability of bleed kits. The government has not said whether it will adopt the proposals. The calls were backed by Lisa Petrie, whose 22-year-old son John McNab was killed in Leith, Neil McCrimmon, whose 16-year-old son Kory was fatally stabbed in Glasgow in 2024, and Ashleigh Mullan, whose brother Peter was killed in Edinburgh in 2023. The families shared their experiences in a video message intended to press for action. Victim Support Scotland says a review should examine the causes of youth involvement in knife crime and the effectiveness of existing prevention work. The charity also wants national provision of bleed kits, which can help control bleeding after an attack.