Tougher restrictions needed against knife crime, says Senedd politician
A teenage girl was convicted of three counts of attempted murder earlier this week after a stabbing at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford last April
Last updated 5th Feb 2025
Politicians in Wales are calling for tougher restrictions - saying the country's facing a knife crime 'epidemic'
The schoolgirl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of attempted murder at Swansea Crown Court on Monday after attacking three people at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman - also known as Amman Valley School - in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire in April last year.
After stabbing both teachers, the girl moved on to attack another pupil before she was restrained by staff.
Now concerns are being raised about teacher safety - and the availability of knives.
Adam Price is the MS for Carmarthenshire East say tighter and stricter knife reforms are needed.
"We need to look at the scale of the problem..
... so we can understand the challenge we're facing."
"We need to look around the world, around the rest of the UK that have been dealing with challenging behaviour for a longer period historically than is the case in Wales maybe."
Adam Price also said there needs to be further research into how teachers can deal with threatening behaviour from pupils.
He says:
"It's also looking at the powers teachers have in practical terms dealing with challenging behaviour.
"At what point is it permissible to use physical force for example?"
In the Senedd, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, says she worries pupil behaviour has worsened in recent years.
"We're also seeing more challenges with behaviour and I do believe that the situation has become worse since the pandemic".