Name: De Montfort University: A Safer Knife Campus
Start: 2026-01-16T14:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-01-16T16:00:00+00:00
Location: Leicester Castle

De Montfort University: A Safer Knife Campus

The university has declared itself the country’s first Safer Knife Campus
About this Event

The most common means of M**der in this country is a knife or other sharp instrument. It has been this way for years and it is getting worse.

In the year ending March 2024, there were 262 homicides committed using a knife or other sharp instrument recorded, an increase of 8% compared with the previous year.

And, by some distance, it is young people who are most likely to die on the point of a blade – the proportion of teenagers being stabbed to death is almost twice that of any other age group combined.

At De Montfort University, forensic scientist Leisa Nichols Drew has carried out some of the UK’s most comprehensive research into the safety of round-tipped knives, finding that their use almost entirely reduces the likelihood of fatal damage when used in anger.

In light of this, and to help encourage more people and organisations across society to make the switch, the university has declared itself the country’s first Safer Knife Campus, working to replace every knife on its Leicester site with round-tipped alternatives.

Join us at an event announcing the initiative, at which we will hear from Leisa, along with some of the many knife safety campaigners she works with to help reduce the number of knife-related injuries and deaths.