Out of control youth violence is down to the SNP's soft touch justice regime, opposition politicians warn Swinney

Daily Mail​

22-05-2025

The 'weak and reckless' soft touch justice regime in Scotland has led to 'out of control' youth violence that is now 'costing lives', John Swinney has been told.
After a spate of recent knife incidents, Russell Findlay accused the First Minister of creating a system where 'young people do not feel safe' and parents are 'terrified'.
The Scottish Tory leader cited the death of 16-year-old Kayden Moy at Irvine beach on Saturday and the alleged stabbing of a 17-year-old at Portobello just 24 hours earlier.
The general 'sickening rise in youth violence' was 'linked directly' to SNP policies and actions, he said.
The party had 'systematically weakened the justice system', especially youth justice, made excuses for those causing harm, and failed to ensure discipline in schools.
More than 200 weapons were recovered from under-17s in stop-and-searches last year.
'Police Scotland says the number of serious assaults committed by teenagers has risen by 600 per cent in the past five years,' Mr Findlay told First Minister's Questions.
He added: 'Two teenagers died and 11 were injured during a spate of knife incidents involving youths in the past two months.
'Young people do not feel safe. The system does not protect them.
'What does John Swinney have to say to parents who tell me that they are terrified every time their son or daughter leaves the house?'
Mr Swinney expressed his sympathy to Kayden's family for the 'tragedy'.
He told MSPs: 'One incident is one incident too many. The disorder and the violence at Irvine beach and in Portobello were totally unacceptable.'
The First Minister said the Government was taking a three-pronged approach to knife crime - educating young people against carrying weapons, 'effective punishment' for any offences and 'sustained school and community engagement' to create 'responsible citizens'.
As a result, there had been a 'sustained fall' in knife crime in the past 15 years.
But Mr Findlay said a lack of 'meaningful deterrents' meant young people saw 'no consequences' for offending, adding: 'That inevitably fuels youth violence.'
Thanks to the 'misguided thinking' at the heart of SNP policy-making, 'disruptive and dangerous pupils' were allowed to stay in schools and teachers prevented from instilling 'basic classroom discipline', he said.
Criminals under 18 were also sent to children's panels instead of courts and 'perverse' sentencing guidelines meant especially lenient sentences for those under 25.
'That approach is weak, it is reckless and it is costing lives,' Mr Findlay thundered.
'Parents want a return to discipline in schools and deterrence in the justice system, so why will John Swinney not listen to them?'
The FM said prosecution remained an option for serious offences and highlighted a two-thirds drop in hospital admissions for knife assaults in the last 15 years.
He said: 'That is the result of us tackling knife crime in our society. That prevention work is having an effect. Scotland is a safer country today than it has been in the past.'
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, the father of three boys, said he had been personally 'devastated' by Kayden's death.
He said: 'The statistics are damning. The number of young people being caught with knives is rising, with a 15 per cent increase among 11- to-15-year-olds in only five years.
'Many parents are rightly worried. They fear that their children are not safe and are asking how this Government has allowed the situation to get so out of control.'
Blaming bad decisions for a crisis 'years in the making', Mr Sarwar said the SNP had 'decimated youth work services' and cut 730 police officers from local divisions and shut 'countless local police stations'.
He said: 'Now we're hearing horrifying reports of children - primary school children - being caught carrying knives. That is not a coincidence.'
He quoted campaigner Vicky Donald, whose 13-year-old daughter was assaulted on the way to school, and who wrote to Mr Swinney this week after the recent incidents.
She wrote: 'Stop waiting for more funerals. Do something now.'
Mr Swinney said he had replied to her noting a 79 per cent fall in the number of teenage homicide victims, which he said was a sign of successful prevention work.
David Kennedy, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, this week demanded more stop and search powers for officers to 'save lives'.
He said: 'It has become increasingly difficult for police to deal with under-16s due to laws that were introduced to protect children and young people but, in fact, do the opposite because police are left with their hands tied.
'We have to be able to conduct stop and searches and do that no matter what age they are.
'We urgently require new, robust legislation that empowers officers to act decisively and prevent violence before it happens.'