New rules require age verification for online knife sales and reporting of suspicious purchases to police after deadly stabbings.
Ronan’s Law increases penalties for underage knife sales. Selling weapons to someone under 18 could mean two years in jail. Previously the sentence was just six months. This law honors Ronan Kanda, killed in 2022.
The government will penalize selling banned weapons more harshly too. Current laws are weaker for selling weapons than possessing them. This change addresses that disparity.
A new offense targets possessing weapons with violent intent. The weapon’s legality doesn’t matter. If you intend violence, it’s a crime. This crime carries up to four years prison.
These changes follow the Southport stabbings case. The killer bought knives on Amazon at age 17. He used them to murder three young girls. Stricter online knife sale checks are needed.
Online retailers may now require photo ID. This wasn’t legally required before, however. The Home Secretary called the original situation a “disgrace.” The killer received a 52-year sentence.
A government review showed flaws in online knife sales. They found a lack of age checks and delivery safeguards. The government mandates a two-step verification system. All retailers selling knives online must use it.
Ronan Kanda’s killers bought weapons online easily. There were no age or ID checks at the Post Office. One killer bought over 20 knives online. He used his mom’s ID for some purchases.
Ronan’s mom supports the new government measures. She believes stricter online sales rules are essential. She wishes these rules existed sooner. This tragedy might have been avoided, she stated.
The government aims to cut knife crime in half. Tackling online sales is crucial to that goal. The government also introduced fines for tech bosses. These fines target failure relating to illegal knife content.