Knife crime rising: ONS records 49,489 offences in 2023
Martin’s campaign comes against a backdrop of worsening statistics. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows a seven per cent rise in offences involving knives or sharp instruments in 2023, climbing from 46,153 cases in 2022 to 49,489.
Martin has been invited to join the government’s Anti-Knife Crime Coalition. “There are lots of things that need to change, and I think the government needs to hear from people like me who have experienced this type of crime,” he said. “I think I can add real value to that committee.”
His frustration is not only personal. “I have spoken to so many kids who don’t think they have a place in society. They are just going round ducking and diving, angry, until something terrible happens — like what happened to Charlie.”
Why Martin believes Adolescence should be shown in every school
Netflix’s Adolescence — a drama following a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of a classmate — has sparked widespread national debate about youth violence, misogyny and the influence of social media. Martin Cosser sees it as something close to a public health tool.
“In every school I go to, when I share Charlie’s story, the children always tell me what an impact it has, but I can’t be in every school,” he said. “I think a show like this will do more than a police officer coming in. This show will hit hard.”
Martin draws a clear parallel between the fictional Jamie Miller and the very real Yura Varybrus: both teenage boys, both acts of violence rooted in aggression towards a girl. He also echoes the show’s warning about the internet: “We shouldn’t smother them — we should be able to trust our children — but we do need to know what they’re doing and who they’re talking to because the internet is not always a safe place.”
