Pocket knife related crimes rising

IT is becoming too common at the police stations and court rooms to hear that the number of offenders charged with wounding, grievous bodily harm and murder using pocket knives has increased.
Offenders use the pocket knives which are usually concealed to hold someone up, and if they refuse to cooperate, the victim is stabbed and murdered with those knives.
One will find that a random police search on an unsuspecting group in a busy place will find some sort of offensive weapon, and most times it will be a kind of knife.
Some experts argued that often it is the fear of gangs and crimes that leads to young people carrying knives, because they believe it will help keep them safe.
The trouble is that those weapons may then be used, which make the number of violent incidents could go up.
Many people believe that those who carry knives are simply criminals and to stop this behaviour is to increase the number of police officers on the streets.
Yesterday, the Waigani National Court Judge George Manuhu sentenced a 20-year-old woman to 16-years in jail with hard labour for murdering her boyfriend with a kitchen knife, stabbing him on his left chest.
In handing his decision, he questioned when people will stop stabbing each other with a knife.
He told the woman that the decision she made has changed her life forever.
“Life is like a highway, if you drive well you will enjoy the ride.
“When you drink beer you might drive off the road. I want you to recall the moment you pulled the knife out and you should accept that the only person to blame is yourself.”
The sale of pocket knives in public markets and on the street should be stopped as they are being used as weapons to crimes of wounding, hold-ups and murder.
Exceptions may be made for hunting knives, pocket knives, and knives used for work-related purposes (chef’s knives, etc…), depending upon the laws of a given jurisdiction.
Police prosecutors over time have told the courts that the use of pocket knives in committing a crime is a growing issue and has to be looked into.
And most of the cases that went before the court were related to marital affairs and alcohol consumption.
Most women are appearing in court charged with wounding using pocket knives.
Women attack their husband’s mistresses when caught or even their husbands after finding out the truths.
While we call for the sale of pocket knives to be controlled with strict laws implemented by the Government, this should also extend to other forms of knives also.
The carrying of any form of knife; be it bush knife, rambo knife, grass knife in public, should be regulated.
It is no secret that murder weapons used are often pocket knives.
There are lots of different rules about carrying a knife, but for the most part it is illegal to carry a knife in public without a good reason.
It is also illegal to use any knife in a threatening way.
Basic laws on knives should be put in place to say it is unlawful to: sell a knife to anyone under 18.
The carrying of knives in public is forbidden or restricted by law in many countries and the same should be applied in PNG.
Knife crime has devastating consequences on families, children and communities – offenders simply cannot go unpunished.