The number of repeat knife crime offenders has reached a record high in Sussex. Data from the Ministry of Justice has revealed that the criminal justice system dealt with 364 Sussex knife and offensive weapon offenders from March 2023 to March this year. Of those offenders, 31.
6 per cent had already received a conviction or caution, totalling 115, the highest rate since records began ten years ago. The data for Sussex is in line with the rest of England and Wales, where 31.5 per cent of offenders had a previous conviction or caution.
The figures have also shown that 18.4 per cent of knife and offensive weapon offenders in Sussex were between the ages of 10 and 17. READ MORE: Crawley murder investigation latest after teenage girl killed The Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity that tackles knife crime through education and campaigning, has said investing in rehabilitation is crucial rather than "simply locking people up".
Patrick Green, chief executive of the trust, said: “The increasing number of repeat offenders with knife crime convictions is alarming. “It's clear we are moving in the wrong direction. To effectively address knife crime, we must prioritise preventing young people from becoming involved in such violence.
” Mr Green also highlighted the concerning disconnect between the number of knife crime offences being committed but the drop in offenders being dealt with by the Ministry of Justice. He said: “Office of National Statistics figures released last month show th.