Shock over IRH knife figures
Russell Steele • Published 12 May 2010 14:00
THIRTY-NINE people were admitted to Inverclyde Royal Hospital last year after being knifed, shocking new figures show.
Official health statistics reveal that 38 men and one woman were rushed to IRH because they were victims of a blade assault.
The number of local admissions was slightly down from 45 the year before. Ten years ago, the figure stood at 28.
Across Scotland, 1,500 knife crime victims were admitted on an emergency basis last year after being assaulted by a sharp object - a five-year high.
Later this year, MSPs will decide whether knife-carriers should be given mandatory six-month jail terms.
The vote will mark the culmination of a campaign sparked by the murder of Greenock man Damian Muir in 2007.
Damian's dad, John Muir, has been fighting for stricter sentencing laws ever since, with the backing of the Tele and our army of readers.
Your high-profile battle against blades recently won Newspaper Campaign of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.
Mr Muir said: "The 39 is tip of the iceberg, with the number of unreported stabbings and slashings that I believe happen.
"I have heard of non-life-threatening cases where people do not attend hospital for fear of having to explain what happened.
"The Scottish figures are frightening.
"It's barbaric for so many people to be taken in to hospital like this."
Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil added: "These worrying figures highlight the tragic toll knife crime is taking on communities across Scotland.
"The time is right to introduce mandatory minimum custodial sentences for knife criminals, which have been endorsed by thousands of people in Inverclyde and across Scotland."
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 12 May 10
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