The tragic toll of rising knife crime

In this episode of Good Weekend Talks, we look at knife crime.

In Queensland, violent attacks involving the use of a knife have risen by 40 per cent in the past five years, a trend reflected elsewhere in the country and also in the UK, where they’re so common they’ve been labelled a “scourge”.

Award-winning journalist Frank Robson spoke to the family and friends of Jack Beasley, a 17-year-old who died from a knife wound on a night out in Surfers Paradise, for our cover story this week: Razor’s edge: The sharp rise in teen-related knife crime, and its deadly consequences. Jack’s parents Brett and Belinda talk about what happened on that dreadful night, the son they lost and the charitable foundation they’ve set up in his name, with the slogan “Live your life without a knife”, designed to encourage teens to leave the knives at home.

Frank is joined on the podcast by Queensland Police acting inspector Ken Murray to discuss the various causes of knife crime and what the police are doing to encourage better choices, with moderation from Good Weekend deputy editor Greg Callaghan.

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For the full feature story, see Saturday’s Good Weekend, or visit The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.