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Five children shot or stabbed in London EVERY day
Last updated at 00:52am on 17.01.08
Victim: Henry Bolombi, known as Black H, was stabbed to death in a gang confrontation after seeing in the New Year
Five children are shot or stabbed in London every day, shocking new figures reveal.
The statistics come as the Metropolitan police reveals that crime overall is falling in the capital.
The total number of offences fell by six per cent last year but senior officers say they are still disturbed by the level of violence involving children, particularly teenagers.
Commander Shaun Sawyer, head of the Met's Violent Crime Directorate, said: "We are winning on many fronts, knife crime overall is down and the number of robberies down, but we know we have a challenge in youth crime.
"This year tackling violent young offenders continues to be a major priority. We are going to take on violent criminals, whether adults or juveniles, members of gangs or individuals."
The figures obtained under Freedom of Information rules reveal a frightening snapshot of teenage crime in the capital in an eight-month period last year.
From 1 April to 30 November, a total of 1,273 victims under the age of 20 suffered injuries in gun and knife attacks. Many were victims of gang violence.
The figures come amid mounting concern over the number of teenagers murdered in London.
Two young men have died this year alreadym Henry Bolombi, 17, in Edmonton, north London, on New Year's Day, and Faridon Alizada, 18, after a gang fight in a tower block in Bexley, south-east London.
There were 27 killed last year, the highest total ever. Details of the number of children injured but not killed in assaults reveals a shocking hidden scale of violence.
The statistics show that in the eight-month period:
• A total of 321 children were injured in shootings, 39 of them seriously.
• Eighty-eight children were shot in armed muggings and two were injured in gunpoint rapes.
• A total of 952 children were stabbed, 188 of them seriously.
• Some 288 children were hurt in knifepoint robberies and 10 were stabbed in rapes.
Senior police officers admitted the numbers were disturbing but said the number of attacks involving children was now falling after "robust" campaigns to tackle youth violence.
Victim: Faridon Alizada, 18, became the second fatal knifing victim of 2008 after a fight near flats in Bexley, south London
Commander Sawyer said in fact the percentage of victims under 20 had fallen slightly last year though it was up significantly in the past five years.
He said: "We are carrying out robust action on the street to tackle gangs and take on violent individuals on estates and across London.
"These figures are worrying but we are determined to get on top of youth violence. We have been mapping these violent offenders and we will be going after them where they live."
Crime overall in London, in fact fell to its lowest level in nine years. Scotland Yard said police recorded a total of 876,298 offences last year, a fall of six per cent on 2006.
There was a significant fall in street robbery figures last year - down 15 per cent - after the Met poured resources into fighting a huge surge in muggings.
The number of offences of violence also fell by seven per cent and overall knife crime was down by 13 per cent.
Camilla Batmanghelidjh, of the charity Kids Company, said: "In fact, the figures are higher than this because there is under-reporting of attacks. There are a lot of knife wounds that are not going to hospital.
"I have always thought that the real statistics are not coming out.
"My experience at street level is that children are resorting to savage ways of surviving because from their perspective the adult world and civil society cannot protect them.
"When you are alone and the rule of law does not protect you, you have to adhere to an alternative system of power to ensure your own protection and that is where the weapon, violence and the gang comes in."
Lester Holloway, the acting editor of the New Nation newspaper, said: "These are shocking and horrifying figures. I fear that carrying dangerous weapons is now becoming a way of life for many children who feel vulnerable on the way to schools and colleges."
Reader views (8)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
The general consensus on here seems to be that as long as they're only stabbing and killing each other, everyone else is happy.
- Luciano, Bristol
If minority gangs wander the streets with weapons, they cannot be surprised at the consequences. I just hope that the police aren't wasting too much tax revenue on the investigations. I'd like to see the money diverted towards protecting the innocent.
- Rachel, Glamorgan
Let's not get this twisted, there are millions of children in London, at least 5 die every day from road accidents. This is a problem, but no where near the size the media says it is, and this problem is not found in all aspects of society, it comes predominately from poverty. Oh and the middle classes trying to be 'edgy'
The children in our society are a product of our values and our contributions to the world, if we have created a violent society, perhaps we should try and sort it out...rather than blaming the kids who were born into the world that WE the adults created.
- Daveb, London
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