What helps fight the attack with a knife? – The world

Since October last year, the law on weapons entered into force in Germany. The goal of its adoption was the introduction of zones in the public space in which the wearing of knives were prohibited. It is for saying about the places where folk joy, market, cells, but also buses or trains are held. And independently, what the knives are the word, that is, how long the dagger is.

In case the police during the control, for example, detects that someone has a knife, to that person, the knife is seized.

Illegal wearing knife

Thanks to the new legislation, authorities can accurately determine special zones in which weapons are prohibited. Police officers in this case by subtracting knives or cash punishment can act preventively, with the aim of intimidating potential offenders. Such zones exist in more and more German cities.

The coalition contract between the Union (CDU / CSU) and SPD can be found and one short passage dedicated to the blades related to knives. The new government, as he announces, wants to examine whether it is possible to further tighten the penalties that sanction violence in which knives are used.

Increased controls

Criminology Brita Banenberg from the University of Justus Libig in Gisen believe that many people are forbidged, where many young people meet, where there is an increased potential for wearing knives and lumpout controls can increase security level. « 

But Banenberg, however, adds that it is convinced that such bans will probably not intimidate those people who plan violence, for example in the field of organized crime or related to drug trafficking.

No security guarantee

Laws and controls do not guarantee complete safety. « And then suddenly that man appeared in front of me and he stabbed me, without saying anything, » Liliana F. was attacked at the train station of a smaller place in Lower Saxony in February. She sustained serious injuries and was a vulnerable.

The attacker was a mentally ill man, from previously known to the police – had a knife, which was banned at that place. In Donja Saxony, as police statistics show, eight attacks with a knife on average. In Berlin – ten.

A higher number of attacks?

The German authorities have recorded about 29,000 attacks at the entire country over the past year. The statisticians registered and the threats, or attempts to attack with knives, also registered.

In about 10,000 cases of dangerous bodily injuries, knives were weapons in the perpetrator’s hands, it was about ten percent more than in 2023. Years. Every twentieth attack on a person in Germany, he was the attack with a knife. « At the same time, the number of delicacies related to the robberies using knives, » explains the criminologist Dirk Bayer from Cyric High School for Applied Sciences.

It is cautiously optimistic and believes that the number of attacks with a knife may have reached the peak: « When violent crimes reaches a level that a society no longer accepts, then we know that the trend can change and change. »

Civil society actors, social workers in schools and police institutions that focus on these topics in their work, can contribute to reducing the number of delicacies. « I think we are at the stage when the knives are », adds a criminologist.

However, statistics are still insufficient. For now, research projects dealing with violence related to the use of knives are also rare. The Lower Saxony in this year plans to launch one such project, and Brita Banenberg deals with the research of violence related to knives: « We want to find out who carries or used by the knife, to enable the introduction of targeted preventive measures. »

Men’s thing?

The possession of knives and violence related to the use of the knife are a male thing. « Men are more violent than women. It is a general criminological knowledge, » says Banenberg. And the criminologist Dirk Bayer adds: « It has to do with the idea of ​​what masculinity is. The knife just shows it: I’m a dangerous guy. »

Especially young men, under 40 years of age, more often leans violence. The figures are more than clear about it: In Saxony, for example, in the field of knife-related crime, nine out of ten suspects are men, eight of the ten victims is also male. Every third (male) suspected person in Saxony is under 21 years of age. About 50 percent are foreign origin.

What role does origin play?

The Banenberg expert advocates that the origin of these people are not relativized: it says that there are immigrants from countries where violent education of children and the experience of violence on their own skin is significantly more pronounced than in Germany. But it is just one of a number of factors, and the issue of causes is much more complex, she adds.

According to Dirca Bayer, the circumstances of the country of origin must be respected, deficient perspectives in Germany, insufficient integration, all that can affect the violent behavior of these people.

There is a long breath in combating knives. Bayer is committed to adopting the National Action Plan. It is necessary, he says, more money for social work, campaigns against violence are needed – and more attention dedicated to victims.

« Have a knife with you, it doesn’t hurt anyone, some person who is not involved, so you will destroy someone’s human life, » says Liliana F., who just sews at attack with a knife just a few months ago.