Three people who have lost a family member to knife crime have shared their stories and made a call for change in how knife crime is dealt with in Scotland.

This comes during the final week of the Knife Angel sculpture installation in Edinburgh, which is made up of over 100,000 blades seized by police.

Over the past ten years, there has been a year-on-year increase in people convicted of possession of a blade in a public place. Sharp instruments have remained the most common weapon in cases of murder or culpable homicide for the past 20 years (Source: Homicide in Scotland 2024-25).

Victim Support Scotland (VSS) supported the three people to share the impact that knife crime has had on their lives:

  • Ashleigh Mullan, whose brother Peter Mullan was killed in 2023
  • Neil McCrimmon, whose son Kory McCrimmon was killed in 2024
  • Lisa Petrie, whose son John McNab was killed in 2025

Lisa has since advocated for the provision of bleed kits throughout Scotland and campaigned for stricter rules around the sale of knives. Neil and his family have likewise promoted the use of bleed kits, and have campaigned extensively to highlight the impact of knife crime and the importance of prevention.

Through its organisational manifesto, Victim Support Scotland is calling for three commitments in relation to knife crime:

  1. The commission of a comprehensive review of young people in relation to knife crime, examining the causes, social drivers, and effectiveness of current prevention programmes.
  1. Review of current controls on knife sales and carrying lengths, informed by engagement with families affected by knife crime.
  1. Exploring national provision of bleed kits to minimise the catastrophic outcomes of knife incidents.

Victim Support Scotland's Support for Families Bereaved by Crime (SFBC) service provides support for people who have lost a family member to crime. In the video, SFBC Manager, Louise Adams, speaks about the team's experience of supporting people and the societal change that is needed to help tackle this knife crime in all forms.


Debbie Adams, Director of Development and External Affairs at Victim Support Scotland, said:

“Too many people are needlessly losing their lives to knife crime in Scotland.

"Ashleigh, Neil and Lisa have bravely shared their stories in the hope of changing attitudes to knife crime and preventing it from happening in the first place. They, and other families impacted by knife crime, are united in their determination that nobody else should have to experience the trauma and heartbreak of losing a loved one in this way.

"Through our Support for Families Bereaved by Crime service, we witness firsthand the devastating ripple effect of knife crime. It goes beyond individual grief and trauma, spreading within families and throughout wider communities.

"Swift and drastic action must be taken to support community initiatives throughout Scotland, to help prevent these crimes from occurring and reduce the likelihood of offending. This is why we are calling for a comprehensive review of knife crime and its root causes, a reassessment of knife sale controls, and national provision of bleed kits across Scotland.

"The Scottish Government must commit to decisive, concrete, evidence-based actions if we have any chance of preventing more people having their lives taken by knife crime."

--

Victim Support Scotland's mission is that all those affected by crime receive the high-quality support and care they need to move forward with their lives. VSS provides free, confidential, independent support for victims of any type of crime across Scotland. People do not need to report the crime to the police to receive support.

You can call Victim Support Scotland’s free support helpline on 0800 160 1985 (Monday – Friday: 8am – 8pm / Saturday – Sunday: 10am – 4pm)

You can also access a live webchat on the VSS website, and fill out a self referral form online: victimsupport.scot