By Alimat Aliyeva
The British government plans to tighten inspection procedures at retail outlets to prevent knives from falling into the hands of children, Azernews reports.
This decision was made after a teenager who killed three children during a dance lesson in Southport pleaded guilty in court last week.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the knife attack carried out by Axel Rudakubana last July as one of the worst events in British history, prompting the launch of a public inquiry to investigate the failures that led to the tragedy. Consequently, attention is now focused on the rules for the sale of knives.
Under current legislation, retailers in the UK are required to have an age verification system to prevent people under the age of 18 from purchasing knives. However, some aspects of these systems remain unclear.
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper, speaking in Parliament last week, called it shameful that 17-year-old A. Rudakubana was able to buy a knife online. She emphasized the ease with which children can acquire dangerous weapons online, noting, "When shopping online, it's very easy to enter a false date of birth, and parcels are often left on doorsteps with little to no questions asked."
The British government is now under increased pressure to strengthen regulations regarding online sales and improve age verification processes to ensure that dangerous items, like knives, are not easily accessible to minors. Furthermore, there are discussions about increasing penalties for retailers who fail to comply with these laws.
