The number of repeat knife crime offenders has reached a record high in Sussex.

Data from the Ministry of Justice has revealed that the criminal justice system dealt with 364 Sussex knife and offensive weapon offenders from March 2023 to March this year.

Of those offenders, 31.6 per cent had already received a conviction or caution, totalling 115, the highest rate since records began ten years ago.

The data for Sussex is in line with the rest of England and Wales, where 31.5 per cent of offenders had a previous conviction or caution.

The figures have also shown that 18.4 per cent of knife and offensive weapon offenders in Sussex were between the ages of 10 and 17.

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The Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity that tackles knife crime through education and campaigning, has said investing in rehabilitation is crucial rather than "simply locking people up".

Patrick Green, chief executive of the trust, said: “The increasing number of repeat offenders with knife crime convictions is alarming.

“It's clear we are moving in the wrong direction. To effectively address knife crime, we must prioritise preventing young people from becoming involved in such violence.”

Mr Green also highlighted the concerning disconnect between the number of knife crime offences being committed but the drop in offenders being dealt with by the Ministry of Justice.

He said: “Office of National Statistics figures released last month show that knife crime offences have grown four per cent in the last year, yet Thursday’s figures from the Ministry of Justice show a fall in the number of offenders being dealt with by the criminal justice system.

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"This does raise questions about whether the full force of the law is being correctly applied in knife crime cases."

In Sussex, police and partner agencies try to work with young people before they even turn to crime.

Chief Inspector Jim Loader said: “Knife crime has a devastating impact on our communities and Sussex Police are committed to catching prolific offenders, deterring crime and diverting at-risk people away from criminality.

“We carry out a huge amount of work, alongside our partners, engaging with young people and those most at risk of becoming involved in violent crime to ensure they do not offend in the first place.

“Alongside that commitment to education is the targeting of repeat offenders, by identifying the people and locations most associated with knife crime and putting the resources in place to bring them to justice.

“That means higher numbers of repeat offenders facing justice and fewer people offending for the first time.

“We understand that rehabilitation is important, and work with our partners to offer support to repeat offenders, address the root causes of their offending and try to bring about long-term behavioural change.

“Across Sussex we will continue to undertake high-visibility, targeted patrols in the areas most affected by violent crime, while engaging with our communities and educating young people on the dangers of carrying a knife.”