Knife injuries among young people rise in Lambeth as domestic abuse remains persistently high

Knife injuries involving young people have increased in Lambeth over the past year, according to a new report from the borough’s Safer Lambeth Partnership, which also highlights persistently high levels of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

The report, due to be discussed by the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9th February, reviews crime and community safety trends during 2025 and draws on data from police, health services and partner agencies.

It shows that in the year to September 2025, 66 people under the age of 25 were recorded as knife injury victims in Lambeth, up from 53 the previous year. This places Lambeth as the fifth highest borough in London for knife injuries affecting young people.

The report identifies clear geographic concentrations, with the highest number of cases recorded in Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction, followed by St Martin’s, Brixton Windrush, and Streatham Common and Vale.

While knife-related harm among young people has risen, the report presents a more mixed picture across other crime types. Gun crime has fallen sharply, with firearm offences dropping from 102 to 73 in a year, a reduction of 28 per cent.

The number of lethal barrel discharges more than halved, falling from 26 to 11, moving Lambeth from one of the highest-ranking boroughs for gun crime to seventh in London.

Domestic abuse remains one of the most significant concerns. The report records 3,027 domestic abuse offences in the year to September 2025, including 709 incidents involving violence with injury.

Officers caution that reported figures likely represent only a fraction of actual cases, as domestic abuse is widely underreported.

Sexual offences in the borough increased by 8.5 per cent. The report treats this as part of a longer-term pattern rather than a short-term spike, and highlights ongoing demand for specialist support services.

Serious violence linked to Lambeth’s town centres and night-time economy also remains a pressure point. The report states that 14 per cent of serious violence in the borough is connected to night-time activity, with transport hubs such as Waterloo and Vauxhall identified as locations where incidents have increased.

Robbery, by contrast, has fallen substantially. Personal robbery is down by more than 21 per cent, although Lambeth still records the third highest number of robberies in London, reflecting the borough’s size, transport hubs and visitor numbers.

The report also reviews youth justice outcomes. Lambeth continues to have a higher-than-average rate of first-time entrants to the youth justice system, although this has been improving. Reoffending among young people has increased slightly, while adult reoffending rates through the borough’s Integrated Offender Management programme remain below target levels.

Notably, the report does not announce any new funding to address the challenges identified. Delivery of the Safer Lambeth Partnership’s priorities continues to rely on existing budgets and partnership arrangements, at a time when the Council itself is under significant financial pressure.

Taken together, the report presents a borough where some progress has been made — particularly on gun crime — but where violence affecting young people, domestic abuse and sexual offending remain stubborn and serious challenges. Councillors will now scrutinise whether existing approaches are sufficient to respond to those risks in the year ahead.