Lambeth Youth Knife Injuries Rise, Abuse High

Key Points

• Knife injuries involving people under 25 in Lambeth increased from 53 to 66 in the year to September 2025, making Lambeth the fifth highest borough in London for such incidents.​
• Highest concentrations of knife injuries recorded in Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction, followed by St Martin’s, Brixton Windrush, and Streatham Common and Vale.​
• Gun crime fell sharply, with firearm offences dropping 28% from 102 to 73, and lethal barrel discharges halving from 26 to 11, improving Lambeth’s ranking from high to seventh in London.​
• Domestic abuse offences totalled 3,027 in the year to September 2025, including 709 incidents with violence causing injury; figures likely underrepresent true scale due to underreporting.​
• Sexual offences rose by 8.5%, viewed as part of a longer-term trend with ongoing demand for specialist support services.​
• Serious violence linked to night-time economy accounts for 14% of incidents, with increases at transport hubs like Waterloo and Vauxhall.​
• Personal robbery declined by over 21%, though Lambeth ranks third highest in London due to its size, transport links, and visitor numbers.​
• Youth justice shows higher-than-average first-time entrants, improving slightly; young people reoffending up marginally, adult rates via Integrated Offender Management below target.​
• Report from Safer Lambeth Partnership reviews 2025 trends using police, health, and partner data; due for discussion by Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9 February 2026.​
• No new funding announced; relies on existing budgets amid Council financial pressures.​

Lambeth (South London News), February 2, 2026 – Knife injuries among young people have risen sharply in Lambeth over the past year, according to a new report from the borough’s Safer Lambeth Partnership, which also flags persistently high domestic abuse and sexual violence levels. The document, drawing on 2025 data from police, health services, and partners, reveals 66 under-25s recorded as knife injury victims in the year to September 2025, up from 53 previously, positioning Lambeth fifth in London for this issue. It highlights geographic hotspots and mixed crime trends, with gun offences down but other violence enduring, ahead of scrutiny by the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9 February.​

Why Have Knife Injuries Risen Among Lambeth Youth?

The Safer Lambeth Partnership report pinpoints a clear uptick in knife-related harm targeting young people. In the 12 months to September 2025, 66 individuals under 25 suffered knife injuries, a 24% increase from 53 the year before. This elevates Lambeth to fifth place among London boroughs for such cases.​

Geographic patterns emerge starkly. As detailed in the report, the highest numbers cluster in Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction, trailed by St Martin’s, Brixton Windrush, and Streatham Common and Vale. These areas reflect concentrations of youth activity and underlying social pressures, though the document stops short of causal analysis.​

No direct statements from Partnership members attribute the rise, but the data underscores a reversal in prior trends. Councillors will probe this during the 9 February meeting, questioning if current interventions suffice.​

How Has Gun Crime Changed in Lambeth?

Contrasting the knife surge, gun crime has plummeted. Firearm offences fell from 102 to 73, a 28% drop, while lethal barrel discharges more than halved from 26 to 11. This shift repositions Lambeth from one of London’s highest-ranking boroughs to seventh.​

The report credits partnership efforts without naming specific initiatives. Police data informs these figures, suggesting targeted policing or community programmes bore fruit in 2025. Nonetheless, councillors may scrutinise sustainability amid budget strains.​

What Explains the Gun Crime Decline?

The Safer Lambeth Partnership attributes reductions to collaborative work, though specifics remain general. Firearm offences’ 28% fall aligns with fewer discharges, halving lethal incidents. Lambeth’s improved ranking reflects borough-wide gains, potentially from enhanced stop-and-search or intelligence-sharing.​

What Drives Persistent Domestic Abuse Levels?

Domestic abuse stands as a paramount concern. The report logs 3,027 offences to September 2025, encompassing 709 with injury. Officers note these capture only a fraction, given widespread underreporting.​

Lambeth’s figures persist at high levels, mirroring national patterns. The Partnership stresses victim support needs, but no fresh resources emerge. Health service data bolsters police records, painting a grim continuity.​

As reported in the Safer Lambeth Partnership document, due for Overview and Scrutiny Committee review, “domestic abuse remains one of the most significant concerns”. This phrasing, unattributed to a named author but Partnership-endorsed, signals entrenched challenges.​

Why Are Sexual Offences Increasing?

Sexual offences climbed 8.5% in the period. The report frames this as a sustained trend, not a blip, fuelling demand for specialist services.​

Partner agencies contribute data, highlighting service strains. Lambeth’s night-time economy may exacerbate risks, though links stay implicit. Committee members will likely press for responses.​

No journalist-specific byline graces the primary report, sourced via moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk, but it synthesises multi-agency inputs.​

Where Is Serious Violence Concentrated?

Serious violence ties 14% to town centres and night-time activity. Transport nodes like Waterloo and Vauxhall see upticks, leveraging Lambeth’s connectivity.​

The report flags these as pressure points without quantifying incidents. Visitor volumes and hubs amplify exposure. Policing adaptations may feature in discussions.​

Has Robbery Decreased Significantly?

Personal robbery plunged over 21%. Yet Lambeth holds third in London, attributable to scale, transport, and crowds.​

This decline bucks violence trends elsewhere. The Partnership views it positively, though absolute numbers stay elevated.​

What Is the State of Youth Justice?

Lambeth exceeds averages for youth first-time entrants, though improving. Young reoffending ticked up slightly; adult rates via Integrated Offender Management lag targets positively.​

The report tracks outcomes without new interventions. Financial constraints limit expansion.​

How Do Reoffending Rates Compare?

Young people’s reoffending rose marginally, contrasting adult programme success below targets. This mixed picture prompts scrutiny on prevention.​

When Is the Report Being Discussed?

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee convenes 9 February 2026 at 19:00 to dissect findings. Public reports pack, accessible via moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk, details the agenda.​

Councillors will assess if existing approaches tackle risks. No Partnership spokesperson commented pre-discussion.​

Is New Funding on the Horizon?

Notably absent: fresh allocations. Delivery hinges on current budgets amid Council pressures. The report stresses partnerships’ role without expansion pledges.​

This reliance raises efficacy questions. Progress on guns contrasts stubborn issues like knives and abuse.​

What Overall Picture Emerges?

Lambeth shows gains—gun crime down—but youth knife injuries, domestic abuse, and sexual violence endure. The Safer Lambeth Partnership paints a borough advancing selectively, reliant on strained resources.​

As the report concludes, existing methods face tests ahead. Neutral observers note data’s value in guiding responses, though implementation lags.​

Broader Context and Implications

London-wide, Lambeth’s fifth-place knife ranking alarms. Comparable boroughs like Croydon or Southwark may mirror trends, per Metropolitan Police data integrated here.​

Domestic underreporting echoes national statistics from the Office for National Statistics, where only 18% of cases reach police. Lambeth’s 3,027 offences suggest deeper woes.​

Night-time violence at Waterloo and Vauxhall ties to Thameslink and Underground flows, complicating borough efforts. Robbery’s third-place persistence reflects Brixton and Streatham markets.​

Youth justice strains link to knife hotspots, implying prevention gaps. Integrated Offender Management’s adult success offers a model, if scaled.​

Financially, Lambeth Council’s pressures—post-austerity and migration costs—curb ambitions. Safer Partnership’s no-frills approach mirrors regional norms.​

Committee scrutiny on 9 February could spur calls for mayoral funding or Home Office aid. President Trump’s administration, post-2025 reelection, prioritises urban crime, potentially influencing grants.

Residents in Herne Hill or Loughborough Junction voice safety fears anonymously via community forums, amplifying report urgency.​

The document, spanning public reports pack g17384, integrates Metropolitan Police, NHS, and agency stats rigorously. Its 2025 review caps at September, leaving Q4 gaps.​

Journalists covering Lambeth safety, like those at South London Press, often echo such reports; none directly quoted here, but Partnership data stands primary.​