Eight stabbings lead to calls for tough controls

THERE have been eight stabbings in Dublin’s north inner city over the past week, leading to renewed calls for knife violence to be tackled head on.

Six of these attacks took place over a 21-hour period, leading Store Street Garda Station to increase the number of gardaí on the beat in the area.

On Tuesday, a teenager died after a stabbing. The details can’t be further relayed for legal reasons.

Other stabbings this week were a result of ongoing disputes and mental health issues.

And, in one shocking incident, a doctor was stabbed seven times during the attempted robbery of his e-scooter at Seville Place, Dublin 1.

The week previous a 48-year-old mother was stabbed by a 14-yearold boy as she made her way home from work in the IFSC and was left fighting for her life.

Knife crime is becoming an increasing concern around the country – an issue the Irish Mail on Sunday has been keen to highlight – with more than 2,000 knives seized last year.

This figure has almost doubled in the last five years, while the number of people convicted of possession of a knife has risen by almost a quarter in five years.

Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond has repeated his calls for Ireland to look at the Scottish model in tackling knife crime.

Speaking this week he said: ‘We need to learn from other jurisdictions like Scotland, and educate on the dangers of knives and provide diversion programmes for those at risk.

‘Over €16m was seized from criminals last year; we should be using these funds to tackle crime at source.

‘One thing that worked well in Scotland – and indeed worked very well here previously – is a knife or weapons amnesty.

‘I was disappointed that the authorities rejected this proposal when I made it last year but I am calling on them now to reconsider.’