‘My teenage son was killed by a  ninja sword. I had to fight to ban them’

Knife crime in the UK has reached “national epidemic” levels, with 53,000 offences recorded in England and Wales in the year to March 2025. But how has this tragedy become so dangerously normalised, and what is the Labour government actually doing to tackle it?

We look into the tragic killing of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was murdered in 2022 with a ninja sword purchased online by two 17-year-olds in a case of mistaken identity. 

Ronan’s mother, Pooja Kanda, joins us to discuss the campaign that led to ‘Ronan’s Law’ - banning these deadly weapons and increasing sentences for illegal sales. Pooja also talks about the now-closed company, DNA Leisure, which sold the sword that killed Ronan and is linked to multiple teenage murders. 

Plus, we’re joined by The Telegraph’s crime editor, Martin Evans, to break down the latest government response, including the new Knife Licensing Consultation and the launch of the National Knife Crime Coordination Centre.

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