NFI creates knife database because of increased stabbing violence among young people

The Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) has created a database for knives, the institute reports Tuesday morning. The purpose of the database is to conduct better and more targeted research into stabbings among young people. The NFI is very concerned about the increased possession of knives and stabbing violence among minors.

For years, the number of 12 to 18-year-olds arrested for illegal stabbing weapons has been increasing. This age cohort is also more often involved in stabbing incidents, in which knives are used that are explicitly designed to injure others or worse. “We are seeing bigger and bigger knives. These are, for example, knives with saw serrations, chopping knives and so-called Rambo knives,” says microspore researcher Martin Jansen, one of the initiators of the NFI database. “These are not knives that you find in the kitchen drawer.” The largest knife received by the NFI was more than half a meter in length.

With the database, the NFI hopes to be able to conduct more targeted research into future stabbing incidents, especially those in which no weapon was found. Each type of knife leaves a different type of trace, which is often small pieces of paint or metal that remain in the body. Jansen says that with the collected information he can provide better evidence in criminal cases. “What is the probability that a certain type of knife was used compared to other knives?” The hope is also that certain types of knives or specific decorations can be linked to certain gangs, which can improve the investigation for the police.