Overview
- The UK government has announced Ronan’s Law, a set of measures aimed at combating knife crime, including stricter age verification and reporting requirements for online knife sales.
- Retailers will now be required to report suspicious or bulk knife purchases to the police to prevent illegal resales, particularly on social media platforms.
- The maximum prison sentence for selling knives to minors has been increased from six months to two years, applying both to the seller and company executives responsible for the sale.
- A new offence of possessing an offensive weapon with intent for violence has been introduced, carrying a prison sentence of up to four years.
- The measures follow high-profile cases, including the murders of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda in Wolverhampton and three children in Southport, where underage attackers obtained knives online.