More than 300 Youths in Denmark have been charged for illegally carrying knives in public places in the first half of 2023.
The police statistics, which indicate a high prevalence of knife offences, were released by the Ministry of Justice in a press statement.
“I think these numbers are very concerning. We know that gangs recruit from children and young people,” Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said in the statement.
“We’ve seen some violent knife attacks in 2023 in which several of the episodes have involved very young people.”
The total number of charges for knives offences in the whole of 2022 was 589.
The area with the highest number of polices charges for knife possession is Copenhagen, with 77 charges so far this year.
The government is scheduled next week to present a round of measures aimed at clamping down on knife violence.
That will include harsher punishments for crimes, the justice ministry said in the statement.
A first offence for knife possession could give a two-week prison sentence, instead of the current one week. Second offences will result in 30 days in prison, up from the current two weeks.
