Apparently there is only one Dominic D’Souza! A heart warming message from a grateful client. It is these moments that make the job worthwhile!

 

Teen murders and teen murderers, how do we kill this crisis?

 Teen Murders in the UK: A Deepening Crisis and the new KKK.

Introduction

The rise in teenage murders in the UK has become a critical issue, highlighting the growing dangers faced by young people, particularly in urban areas. While overall crime rates have fluctuated, youth homicides—especially knife-related killings—have steadily increased over the past decade. I was called to the Bar in 1993.  In those early days of my practice it was rare to receive a brief to defend a murder case.  So rare in fact, that I could not help my pulse racing when reading the indictment…..MURDER contrary to Common Law.  But that was 30 years ago.  And none of those murder cases I defended back then involved teenage victims or defendants.  Sadly the world is a vastly different place today and I have lost count of the number of teenage defendants I have represented in murder cases, shootings and stabbings over the last ten years.  Tragically most of these cases have involved teenage victims; young men who were all but boys, dead before they could even start their journey through life.  Why are kids killing kids? The issues are complex, and go beyond those involving gang violence, social deprivation, exploitation, and failures in policing .
In this article I attempt to define the scope of the crisis and to provide an insight into it’s root causes.  For perspective I mention a number of relevant cases and finally I venture an opinion as to the effectiveness of current strategies to combat KKK – Kid on Kid Killing.

The Scale of the Problem

Teen homicides in the UK have reached concerning levels, particularly in London and other major cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool. Statistics reveal that a significant proportion of teenage murders involve knives, with stabbings being the most common cause of death.

Key Statistics

- In 2021, the UK recorded its highest number of teenage homicides in over a decade, with 30 teenagers murdered in London alone.
- In England and Wales, 40% of homicide victims aged 13-19 were killed with a knife or sharp instrument in recent years.
- The vast majority of teenage murder victims are male, and many are from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, particularly in inner-city areas.
- Teenagers are not just victims but also perpetrators, with many killings being carried out by other young people.

Root Causes of Teenage Murders

Knife Crime and the Normalisation of Weapons

Knife crime has become a major driver of teen murders. Many young people carry knives for protection, but this increases the likelihood of violent encounters turning fatal. Some key reasons behind the rise in knife-carrying among youth include fear, peer pressure, social media influence, and easy access to knives.  There have been a number of reviews in relation to sentencing policy for offences of knife possession in a public place but harsher sentences have done little to deter those who wish to go about their day armed with a lethal blade.  Most recently ‘zombie knives’ have been outlawed for sale in the UK, quite sensibly as it seems to me that their only purpose could be to maim or kill.  However, as I write this article a cursory search of the internet and a scroll through Tik Tok reveals how easily these dangerous weapons can still be purchased.  In fact there are sales not only of zombies but flick knives, stiletto knives, lock knives, hunting knives, knuckle knives and a dizzying array of other assorted weapons for assault.  Our government’s response to this online problem has been singularly parlous.  I cannot understand why the government cannot make sales of assault knives to any UK purchaser by any online platform illegal.  If not a criminal offence, punitive fines could be levied for any breach of the prohibition.  I appreciate that this type of restriction would require the assistance of any hosting platform – such as Facebook, Tik Tok, Amazon, Ebay etc – but those are just hurdles that I believe our government should surmount in the creation of a comprehensive policy in relation to assault knives.  I note that although gun sales are more common in the US than car sales, here in the UK you would have to delve into the Dark Web to find a single gun for sale.  Why?  Because it is illegal to sell firearms in the UK.  Surely it can be made equally impossible to obtain knives manufactured only for assault if our government spent more time formulating a policy about this important issue?

Gang Culture and Territorial Conflicts

Gang involvement is a significant factor in many teen murders. Gangs often recruit vulnerable young people, using them for drug trafficking, violent enforcement, and other criminal activities. The rise of 'postcode wars' has led to deadly clashes between young people simply for being in the wrong place.  The majority of the murder cases I have defended over the last decade have been gang related and you need only go down to the Old Bailey on any given day to see that at least one of the courts is occupied in a gang related murder case.  Gang related violence is not just a territorial issue. There has been a marked reluctance in both legal and political circles to address what are clear cultural factors pertaining to gang culture.  In my own practice, the overwhelming majority of gang murders or gang violence that I defend involve black defendants and only to a slightly lesser extent, black victims.  This racial demographic is particularly apposite in our cities – London, Birmingham, and Nottingham where black youth gang culture is most evident – but also in Manchester, Liverpool and parts of the North East.

County Lines and Criminal Exploitation

The county lines drug trade often utilises children by exploiting their vulnerabilities, and this has contributed to the rise in teen murders outside our main cities.  County Lines drugs operations have expanded the presence of gang activity from the cities to the smaller towns where there is still a market for recreational drugs such as crack, cocaine, heroin or Ketamine.   Young people who become involved in drug trafficking are at high risk of violence, either from rival gangs or their own leaders if they fail to comply with the demands of the Organised Crime Group to which they belong.  As a result there has been a substantial increase in drug related violent crime in towns and villages that was unheard of only a decade ago.  From my own perspective and having defended a number of County Lines cases I can say this:  these are complicated cases that are difficult to investigate and thereafter prosecute.  My own view is that in this particular area the police are doing an excellent job in identifying and thereafter prosecuting county lines cases.  In this regard the police are greatly assisted by expert evidence from telecommunications professionals who are getting better and better at presenting complex data in jury friendly formats.

The Role of Social Media in Escalating Violence

Social media has become a key factor in youth violence, with online disputes often leading to real-world attacks. Platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok are used to spread threats, public humiliation, and violent content, fueling cycles of retaliation.  The use of social media by our school children is something that is trending presently in the UK.   A number of schools have implemented bans on social media use and it is a matter of debate whether to impose an age limit of 16 plus as a requirement for subscription to any social media platform.  I note that Australia have recently implemented such restrictions nationally.  In my own practice I have been shocked at the pernicious effect social media platforms have had in many of the cases I have defended.  I have seen gang related group violence arranged by tweet, instagram, snapchat and Facebook.  Misinformation is often circulated virally resulting in tragic consequences that should never have come to pass but for the ‘fake news’ sent around groups of teenagers who are glued to any developments in the drama of the day.  YouTube is often a repository of ‘drill videos’ in which gangs rap about what they have done to their enemies, or otherwise humiliating their rivals.  I have been surprised in the cases I have defended how prevalent these drill videos are in the lives of young teenagers who follow such artists.  Drill videos often glamorize gang culture, drug dealing, violence and murder.  They project an image of fast cars, designer clothes and piles of cash.  These videos are a dreadful and worrying influence on teenagers who watch them.

Andrew Tate’s Influence on Young Men and Its Connection to Teen Violence

Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and social media personality, has become a polarizing figure in discussions about masculinity, youth culture, and violence. His messaging often includes hyper-masculinity, anti-establishment rhetoric, rejection of weakness, and encouragement of dominance. While he does not explicitly promote violence, his ideology can reinforce toxic behaviors that contribute to youth crime.  However, in my view Tate has been unfairly singled out in any assertion that there is a correlation between his philosophy and teen murder in the UK.  It may well be that Tate’s philosophies of life are repugnant to most of us who have any moral compass.  However, the views that he espouses relate primarily to the status of men over women.  Unlike the drill videos I have discussed above, nothing Tate says glorifies KKK.  Indeed, the KKK problem existed long before Tate became an internet influencer.  I do however accept that influencers who put out msyogynistic content contribute to the landscape inhabited by a young teen veering towards violence.  In a cultural context, black young men often refer to their partners as their ‘bitch’ or their ‘hoe’. The term ‘baby mother’ originated in the black community and although these derogatory labels have now crossed cultural divides they are considered more prevalent in the young black community particularly that asssociated with criminality.

In my view there are countless individuals who, in the age of the internet, have ready access to those vulnerable and impressionable teenagers influenced by harmful content.  It is unfortunately all but impossible to police this content let alone seek to manage it for a whole host of reasons such as free speech or artistic expression in a democratic society. 

Notable Teen Murder Cases and Their Impact

1. Jaden Moodie (2019)

Jaden, a 14-year-old from London, was knocked off his moped and repeatedly stabbed in a gang-related killing. He had been recruited by a county lines gang, despite his young age. His murder highlighted the dangers of youth exploitation and the need for early intervention

2. Keon Lincoln (2021)

Keon, a 15-year-old from Birmingham, was attacked by a group of teenage boys who shot and stabbed him in broad daylight. His murder, caught on CCTV, shocked the nation and raised concerns about the increasing brutality of youth violence.

3. Yousef Makki (2019)

Yousef, a 17-year-old from Manchester, was stabbed by a friend during an argument. Unlike many other cases, this was not gang-related, but it demonstrated how knife crime affects young people across different backgrounds.

These cases illustrate the devastating human cost of youth violence and the urgent need for solutions.

Government and Community Responses

1. Tougher Laws and Sentencing

• Longer prison sentences for those caught carrying knives or involved in gang-related violence.

• New laws targeting county lines networks, making it easier to prosecute gang leaders who exploit children.

2. Stop-and-Search Measures

• Increased use of stop-and-search in high-crime areas, leading to more weapon seizures.

• Controversial due to concerns over racial profiling and community alienation.

3. Youth Violence Prevention Programs

• The Ben Kinsella Trust and Lives Not Knives educate young people about the dangers of knife crime.

• Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in cities like London and Glasgow take a public health approach, focusing on prevention rather than just policing.

4. Investment in Youth Services

• Calls for more funding for youth centers and mentorship programs to give young people alternatives to crime.

• Greater emphasis on mental health support for vulnerable youth.

5. Community Policing and Public Engagement

• Building trust between police and communities to encourage cooperation.

• Greater focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment for first-time offenders.

Conclusion: A Crisis That Requires Urgent Action

The rising number of teenage murders in the UK is a national crisis that demands immediate attention. While tougher laws and policing measures play a role, they are not enough on their own. A long-term solution requires investing in education, employment, and youth services, early intervention, and community-led initiatives to rebuild trust and provide support. Without significant changes, more young lives will continue to be lost to violence.

Apparently I have sparked a debate!…….

Top barrister sparks debate about defending the guilty…

A barrister’s wig in the UK criminal courts…Dominic D’Souza explains our Victorian dress and the purposes behind it!

My February Missive - thoughts on the US criminal justice system vs the UK

 

My March Missive. A discussion about police corruption, racist stereotyping and the current state of the Bar.

 

My January clip, dealing with a spectrum of matters both personal and professional….

My January missive 

A happy new year to all.  I have been thinking over the festive period about the bar, its precarious state, our vocation, our calling and other matters that might send you to sleep!!!

Kind regards, 

Dominic D’Souza 

An emotional message from a grateful client who was found innocent

 My client was in tears after hearing the jury return a not guilty verdict.  She had waited four years for her trial and I am so pleased to have secured her acquittal. Her gratitude reminds me why I am a criminal defence lawyer and it is a privilege to sometimes have such a profound influence on someone’s life. 

My life in law…

 I’m being interviewed by Law Simplified for their podcast. See the above promotional poster if you feel like hearing about my years as a criminal defence barrister. 

How I might invest a jury with a concern for my client......a sample closing speech by Dominic D’Souza

 

You never know......

"How do you defend someone you think might be guilty?". My first trial gave me that answer...

Going for Gold

www.goldsmithchambers.com/dominic-dsouza

I am excited to be re - joining Goldsmith Chambers in the New Year (see link to my chambers profile above) and it looks like it will be a busy year for me already!

One for All......

David Cameron urged NATO countries not to pay ransoms to secure the release of kidnapped citizens. To do so, he said, was "totally counter productive". Apparently these ransom sums, although securing the release of someone's son or daughter, someone's father or sister, someone's friend or lover....someone, anyone; although it did this thing in securing and saving a life. A full life. Someone's life. Although it did this, it also contributed to terrorism as this money funded that activity which is a threat to the common good, to our national security. I have tried to understand that logic and to a degree, a very cold and dispassionate degree I can see its academic force. Indeed I have seen several very good sci fi movies premised upon that utopian and powerful premise of  'the common good'.  I remember one in particular about a society denied any passion. - music, art, poetry, prose etc to ensure the harmonious propagation of our species; to ensure there was no one individual worth more than the whole.

Am I alone in being utterly traumatised by what is being urged upon our fellow NATO chums by Mr Cameron? Am I seriously alone in having the deepest and most terrifying anxieties about Mr Cameron's righteous pronouncements? Kidnapping is no longer a game; it's no longer a political chess move. Mr Foley's brutal execution that was video recorded for all to see demonstrated that in ways previously unwitnessed by normal citizens like you or I. Citizens who might be Mr. Foley's mum or dad.  His lover or friend. I mean no offence to Mr Cameron, genuinely I don't, but it's not his children in a video about to be beheaded with a kitchen knife. And we have just recently learned that our government and Mr Cameron himself have known 'for some time' that IS have a British citizen hostage. He is apparently the next poor soul to have his head hacked from his neck. It is important to me at least that this is the context in which Mr Cameron has urged, in effect, that we all set our face to the wind....don't give in and let a hacked and hideous beheading be just that. Because we don't give in to terrorism.

Er.....hold on.  This next victim, this British citizen. Who asked for none of this and has no hope in the world but his country, his government and his faith. And most, no hope but in his Prime Minister. This man....we don't even know his name. This man.  Are you not giving him a name so in so depersonalising him he becomes just a number? Well, this number means something to me. This number should be the most precious prime number to any of us. It is in definable, unquantifiable. It is the value of a life. It is the length to which a nation state should go to protect one of its own. It is the length to which a nation state HAS gone to protect one of its own, when that 'one' is all. No person's life is worth less than another's. Mr Cameron's pronouncement effectively, and I hope this is not harsh...effectively says to our unknown citizen 'keep your chin up' as the blade penetrates his throat. It says to his mother and father (and I, like Mr Cameron am a father) 'sorry.  We could save your son's life, but don't you see? It would be madness.  We don't give in to terrorists. We have to think of the greater good'.

Understand. I do. I do get the politics.  I see the rationale. If it were my daughter? Fuck you. Fuck all of you. My daughter is NOT a number. She is a life. She is my life. And what does my country owe me? Owe her?  At the very least? If nothing else? Her life. Her life. Her life. At any cost. Because that cost has no number, is not quantifiable and is only measurable by the value required to secure it.

Mr  British Unknown, my heart truly bleeds for you as, like Christ on the cross at the hideous end, you will surely say of your country 'why have you forsaken me'? And I am afraid I am by no means certain that any answer will justify the image of your decapitated corpse that will no doubt be posted for your government, your loved ones and for all.  In fact, let me retract that last statement. The truth is that I am absolutely certain that nothing will justify such an image, such an eventuality.

Wake up. Wake up all of us. A policy of 'no payment for release' was fine when dealing with Time not Death. In a world where the terrorists, or ship robbers just kept their quarry captive. They didn't hack their heads off with pen knives. This is now a different world and one in which policies must change. If we can afford with all our riches to save a single life we should. We should.  We should. You all know full well we should. If it was my daughter on my life we would. If it was Mr Cameron's son.......I suspect we would.

Mr British Unknown, you are not a number. You are someone's son. Your life has as much value as mine. As my daughter's as anyone's. I would give every penny I had to secure your release. I wish to believe that our community too would do just the same rather than watch your beheading on Youtube.   I am ashamed to my core that the government we have elected are not only prepared to pothsumously pour over the video of your decapitated body for authentication, but before the event urge other countries to visit upon their citizens the same as, god forbid, awaits you.

Sometimes a nation is defined not by the sacrifice of the one for the whole. Sometimes a decision is lauded not for its consequence but for its intention. Sometimes the protection of the smallest right stands firm against the hugest wrong it gives birth to. When Kennedy said 'ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country'....there were those, just numbers to most of us today, who heeded that calling and gave their lives. Numbers. Just numbers. But not to those left counting the costs. And to my mind, if a country can call on one, then one can and should be able to call on country. Because that is who we are.  Who we want to be. We say to all our kith and kin, each and every one of our citizens 'ask what we can do for you'. Mr Cameron, you should pay for the life of our British captive as if it were your own. You should fight government and country to pay for it as if for the life of your child. Or mine. And but for the grace of God it could be either.  Do we negotiate with terrorists today? No. But should we? You decide which side of that fence you are on. I know where I am. And where you should be.

Killing conscience

I am utterly paralysed by the inhumanity of what happened to Mr Foley. I don't recommend anyone looking at the footage unless of a strong constitution. But words and news reports somehow inure us to the graphic reality of the true unbridled horror of pre - meditated execution. There is no Hollywood horror movie that could instil such fear and trauma as the 2 minute footage posted by IS. Execution is surely wrong whoever conducts it and whatever it's purported justification. I have no doubt a video of any state execution in those countries still operating the death penalty would be equally horrific and traumatising to a civilised person. How can any community tolerate the cold blooded taking of life in any circumstances? It is as abhorrent as a life lost to crime. Murder is a crime against state and religion. The most censorious commandment, thou shall not kill, is equally the most serious crime. Execution is no more than state sanctioned murder and there will be no better modern illustration than Mr Foley's traumatic footage. IS consider themselves a state and sanctioned the execution. The US sanction several state executions yearly. Many middle eastern and Asian countries execute drug traffickers regularly. I believe we, as Europeans sanctioned historically many executions that are no less horrific than today. Thousands of 'witches' we burned at the stake in the 1600's. The Catholic Church, of which I am a member, tortured and executed countless innocents in the name of the church. Our British legal system is the envy of the world in no small part to the moral authority and purity that the abrogation of execution invests in it. The same is true of every other significant national criminal tribunal conducting war crimes investigation. If as an individual you support the death penalty then you must support it, if state sanctioned, across cultural borders - it can't be ok in the UK or US but abhorrent in countries with political or cultural differences to the values we prefer. For example adultery is not even a crime in Western cultures. But it is indeed a crime in several countries. A crime to which the death penalty applies. Would anyone really say, 'well if that's the law, that's the law and off with her head....'? But to support state sanctioned execution is effectively to say just that. It's not the execution you would object to, just the offence that the state deem worthy of death. A shocking attitude for any person to hold, you may think. The evident truth is that no state, body, group or man can morally claim to hold sway over the life or death of another. For any reason. Period. All executions are equally abhorrent to the essence of our humanity. Mr Foley's execution was inhuman. As are the thousands if not millions of murders executed in the name of any authority throughout history. A moral conscience and execution are irreconcilable whoever you are. Jesus, who was tried and convicted to be crucified on what was, it seemed to the state, to be the grossest blasphemy - he claimed to be no less than god himself - was nailed to death. That 'open and shut case' is not one in which any of us would come forward to drive the first nail pinning him to the cross now we have the benefit of hindsight. And who would happily set the fire under the woman convicted of witchcraft then pray as her skin sizzled and burned? Who would shoot the poor soldier, no more than a child, who deserts his comrades in abject fear of the terrors of a war he had no wish to be party to? Laws change. We as a community change. Yesterday's most horrific 'crimes' are seen differently as tolerances, prejudices and attitudes dissipate or expand. Children hanged by their necks for theft by order of the very law to which I have devoted my working life are stains on the purity of the enlightenment of civil governance. Uncivil scars on the canvas of our pursuit of civil society. A life, my life, any life is not for taking. It is never justified and our historical experience is that an eye for an eye only leaves everybody blind. There are not many things that are simply inherently and immutably true, particularly in a constantly changing world. But one of them is this...thou shall not kill. Not in any circumstances premised upon the whims, dictates and views of those in governance. So I decry the horror of what happened to Mr Foley in the name of state and religion as I decry every single murder perpetrated in the name of state or religion. In a world peopled by communities with values and beliefs that are worlds apart my prayer is that the sanctity of life might one day be the immutable ground upon which humanity can build, secure that whatever the shifting sands, there is a bedrock upon which every one of us is in accord.