Parents urged to check 'where there children are' after teenager stabbed in Nottingham

A top policing boss has urged parents to be aware of "who their children are with and where they are" after a teenager was stabbed in Nottingham. A 17-year-old was stabbed to the chest at around 4am on the High Street, off the Old Market Square, on Sunday (November 17).

Nottinghamshire Police says the teenager's condition is now critical but stable and that a 22-year-old man has been charged in connection with the incident. Mohammed Ahmadalye, of Bath Street in Nottingham, was charged with making threats with a bladed article in a public place and wounding with intent.

Nottinghamshire Police has also referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct given the force's "past involvement with both the suspect and the victim." Gary Godden, Nottinghamshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, says "every knife crime is one too many", but that everyone has a role to play in stopping it.

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Mr Godden said: "The public often look to the police for answers when issues of serious violence occur. But tackling serious violence is far more complex than that.

"By the time the police become involved it is often when the harm has already been done, to an individual, to their loved ones, and to the wider community. To make a genuine impact, we need to work collaboratively as a society, to get further ahead of the issue."

The PCC says a "full spectrum of partner agencies" need to work alongside the public to support people affected by issues like childhood trauma, exploitation or social inequalities. Known as the public health approach to tackling violence, Mr Godden says society needs to recognise that "violence can spread like a disease and prevention is better than the cure."

This approach locally has included the work of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Violence Reduction Partnership, which brings together blue light services, councils, charities and voluntary organisations to tackle violence. Yet speaking about the impact that wider society can have, Mr Godden said: "Every knife crime is one too many – so we must continue to work together in partnership as a community across Nottinghamshire where everyone is playing their part in preventing knife crime before it causes harm.

"The public have a big part to play in this. I would urge parents to be aware of who their children are with and where they are, and make them aware that carrying a knife does not protect them – it puts them more at risk.

"I would also urge people to call out knife carrying – staying silent could have tragic consequences but reporting it could save someone's life." Figures show that police-recorded violent knife crime is down 2.5% in the year to September 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.

There has also been an 18% reduction in in-patient hospital admissions for knife crime in the year to July 2024. Mr Godden acknowledges that these statistics will be "no comfort to the victims of knife crime and their loved ones."

Nadia Whittome, the Labour MP for Nottingham East, said: "My thoughts are with the victim of this horrific attack, and his loved ones during this deeply traumatic time. We all want to see him make a full recovery from his life-threatening injuries. Violence has no place in our community, and incidents like this shock and sadden us all.

"I urge anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information that could assist the investigation to come forward to the police." Mr Godden added that a new neighbourhood policing model announced this week should also make an impact, with Nottinghamshire Police now safeguarding a consistent presence of officers in all 12 neighbourhood policing areas.