We cant get near that title, American police are significantly more fucked up.
There were 95 deaths directly caused by police in January 2026 alone in the US. There has been 1 in the UK this year so far, 2 if we state this as directly caused by police due to ineptitude.
In an ideal world we wouldn’t have these incompetent fucks running society for the Epstein class, but I’d still take incompetent over bloodthirsty any day of the week.
FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world
on 03 Jun 09:28
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This is the thing that should be focussed on. The police have a duty of care to everyone and they failed appallingly here. The worst thing is watching this point being swept under the carpet as the right wing arseholes make racist capital out of it.
FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world
on 03 Jun 09:12
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I served in the ambulance service
Unlike what movies portray, it’s actually possible to sustain a penetrating wound to the heart, particularly the pericardium, that will take time to be fatal
A patient can be standing there, talking to you, with a small red spot on their shirt
I’m not defending the cops, but it’s not as simple as people think
TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works
on 02 Jun 22:04
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Is there any reason to include that the man was Sikh in the headline besides Sikhphobia?
mctoasterson@reddthat.com
on 02 Jun 22:39
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Well the murder weapon was literally a kirpan, so I guess that could be relevant.
Fedegenerate@fedinsfw.app
on 02 Jun 22:55
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TIL, I thought they were symbolic and typically blunt, goes to show how good my RE was, or how little attention I paid. Not that it matters, this one was sharp enough to stab someone to death. Thanks for showing me something I was wrong about.
My wiki research suggests it used to be a sword before the British, it would be ironic if it used to be a dagger before the British…
Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz
on 02 Jun 22:45
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The man was specifically allowed to have a ceremonial dagger due to being a Sikh. The Sikh claimed he had been attacked over racial motives, which led the police to discount what the student was saying. So multiple parts of this were very much based on the man being Sikh. You couldn’t properly cover the story without mentioning the fact, so it’s not surprising it’s in the headline
ztwhixsemhwldvka@lemmy.world
on 03 Jun 01:20
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Tbh I was surprised he wasn’t Muslim. The headline I intiitally saw didn’t mention his faith but I saw the thumbnail and noticed the turban and was like hang on is he Sikh.
ztwhixsemhwldvka@lemmy.world
on 03 Jun 12:29
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The headline I initially read in the Guardian just said “'‘religious’ knife”. And in general any real or imagined criticism against Muslims can result in extreme intolerance including violence.
CovfefeKills@lemmy.world
on 03 Jun 06:05
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is the irony painful to anyone else?
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net
on 03 Jun 11:59
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Even if the kid was an absolute turd, he didn’t deserve to be treated like that. Acab
cheese_greater@lemmy.world
on 02 Jun 23:50
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Wonder if he gets to keep the murder weapon for use in prison.
The absolute audacity of his family to cover for him and try to obstruct is insane. If they have dual citizenship or they retained their Punjab citizenship they need to be stripped of their UK and deported AFTER their prison sentence.
cheese_greater@lemmy.world
on 03 Jun 02:29
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Theres that r-word again everyone is so afraid of that may have led to this kid’s death or at least led to him being handcuffed and his injuries ignored. How is anyone of any creed or color who pulls this kind of shit not worthless filth?
vagrancyand@sh.itjust.works
on 03 Jun 13:34
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You English cunts have wild ideas about self-defense. No wonder you’ve lost every war you’ve fought in since the 1700s.
(Also they guy stabbed the victim five times in the torso and legs because he found him annoying, not because he was defending himself.)
vagrancyand@sh.itjust.works
on 03 Jun 15:16
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Your list of ‘victories’ seem to all be against people at least ten centuries behind your current technology. That’s not a war. That’s just genocide. And no, the UK did not win WWII. They were busy hiding in their bunkers while real countries actually fought and died.
(also “found him annoying” is a weird euphemism for “stalking while committing multiple hate crimes and threatening” but that’s why Labor is looking more and more like UKIP these days, brown men can’t defend themselves against “True Englishman” aggression.)
They were busy hiding in their bunkers while real countries actually fought and died.
The US refused to enter the war for years because it was afraid.
You can’t help but project, can you?
Also, didn’t you guys lose to a bunch of ricefarmers with sticks and muskets?
also “found him annoying” is a weird euphemism for “stalking while committing multiple hate crimes and threatening” but that’s why L
No, it isn’t. Even if the guy was being a racist asshole, of which there’s no evidence, despite him having filmed the interaction, that doesn’t justify murder. Jesus, this is like talking to a toddler. No, you can’t stab a person to death because you didn’t like him when he was walking home from a bar.
What fkin stalking? Why are you making up shit?
And even if he did, that’s still not an immediate threat to his life that wouldn’t even non-lethal force, let alone lethal force, let alone stabbing him all over five fucking times.
You’re just a shitstirrer though. I don’t believe you’re actually that illiterate. Or American, tbh. No wörries, I like writing. Keep stirring.
Fellas, is stabbing someone five times to kill them after they filmed you and you didn’t like what they were saying, “self-defense”?
On the evening of 3 December 2025, some time before 11:30 pm, Nowak (victim) was walking in the area of Belmont Road in the Portswood suburb of Southampton.He had been drinking at the Hobbit Pub but he was under the drink-drive limit.
Nowak then began filming Vickrum Digwa. Video recovered from Nowak’s phone captured him saying “Hello car” and singing to himself before yawning, while Digwa walked away from him. Nowak continued: “Innit bad man, what bad man. You’re a bad man, say you’re a bad man, go on.” Digwa, still walking away in the Snapchat video, replied: “I am a bad man” Digwa inflicted five “stab wounds or cuts” on Nowak, with the 21-centimetre (8.3 in) Kirpan, a Sikh ceremonial knife he was carrying, including a fatal wound to the chest and additional wounds to his legs.
vagrancyand@sh.itjust.works
on 03 Jun 15:09
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Yes that is indeed self-defense and will be found as such in any country that isn’t the UK. Even the US isn’t this stupid, and that’s saying something.
Lol, that doesn’t even apply in the US. You’re always going on about this thing called “freedom of speech”.
Perhaps try educating yourself on what that means?
Please describe in the detail which one of the victims actions necessitated him being stabbed five times various locations?
The guy didn’t even use expressions that could be construed as “fighting words” and even if he did, that wouldn’t necessitate being stabbed over it. Wouldn’t hold up even in US court.
In the U.S., the general rule is that “[a] person is privileged to use such force as reasonably appears necessary to defend him or herself against an apparent threat of unlawful and immediate violence from another.”[1] In cases involving non-deadly force, this means that the person must reasonably believe that their use of force was necessary to prevent imminent, unlawful physical harm.[2] When the use of deadly force is involved in a self-defense claim, the person must also reasonably believe that their use of deadly force is immediately necessary to prevent the other’s infliction of great bodily harm or death.[3] Most states no longer require a person to retreat before using deadly force. In the minority of jurisdictions which do require retreat, there is no obligation to retreat when it is unsafe to do so or when one is inside one’s own home.[4]
The rational solution is to execute the murderer, jail the family for a long time for obstruction of justice and when their sentences are up deport them.
The police who cuffed a dying man should be jailed for negligent manslaughter.
Longylonglong@sh.itjust.works
on 03 Jun 11:09
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Um, what part of the word “Sikh” made you think of sharia?
Now, as for the killer, he got the highest punishment a reasonable country gives: life in prison.
Beyond that, it regularly starts happening that people who aren’t guilty get executed. It’s very hard to write a law describing when a murder is “clear enough”. Nobody has managed so far. All the countries which sentence people to death sometimes execute people who aren’t guilty.
You think the death penalty is edgy? It has been used for thousands of years across numerous societies.
Burray_Mookchin@lemmy.ml
on 03 Jun 07:59
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Digwa stabbed Nowak with a knife he said he was permitted to carry due to exemptions for Sikhs to have ceremonial daggers.
I don’t understand this, isn’t anyone “permitted” to carry a knife wherever they want to in public? Why do they call it an exemption
Edit: Since I’m guessing the answer is “not in the UK” my follow up question would be how do people buy knives there?
Do they have to dodge the cops on their way home from the store?
Tortellinius@lemmy.world
on 03 Jun 08:10
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Because Sikhs have to carry the knife as part of their religion. The religion, however, forbids the offensive use of the knife. It is only for self-defense.
Burray_Mookchin@lemmy.ml
on 03 Jun 08:15
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Yeah but I’m pretty sure I can also just put a knife in my pocket and leave my house without doing anything illegal in the process, so I’m wondering why there needs to be an exemption.
Edit: Also pretty sure everyone is forbidden from using knives offensively not just Sikhs
StillAlive@piefed.world
on 03 Jun 08:35
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Also pretty sure everyone is forbidden from using knives offensively not just Sikhs
Many British laws consist of a blanket ban with exemptions rather than the American assumption of legality unless specifically banned. So knives that are legal to carry/legal reasons for carrying a knife are all exemptions rather than an assumed norm.
JensSpahnpasta@feddit.org
on 03 Jun 08:22
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Not sure about this exact locality, but there totally are places and areas where you are not permitted to carry knifes. The USA is really an exemption that people are allowed to carry assault rifles, grenade launchers and flamethrowers in the subway. Other countries have knife bans in place so that you are not allowed knifes in public transport or in other places
Burray_Mookchin@lemmy.ml
on 03 Jun 08:31
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I live in central europe but still would never think twice about leaving the house or entering a tram with a knife in my backpack. I think I actually do still have a swiss army knife in there somewhere that I’ve been carrying literally anywhere I go for the last couple years.
To me it’s a little strange to compare knives, which are primarily tools, to firearms that are from start to finish designed for the sole purpose of killing and injuring living things. My life would be worse without knives, I use them every single day. But I’ve never required a gun for anything
In a backpack, yeah, I wouldn’t worry as someone from Northern Europe.
On my belt though? Again, I wouldn’t worry… if I’m not on public transport and instead hiking in the woods or on my way there with boots and whatnot.
Wearing Friday bests in public transport with a large knife on my belt? Yeah I expect it wouldn’t be too long for someone to contact the authorities. Especially if you were just hanging out in public, displaying it.
No-one would be bothered about a Swiss Army tool in your pocket, though.
BarneyPiccolo@lemmings.world
on 03 Jun 10:32
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Laws are different everywhere, but often blades over 3" are prohibited. In NYC, there is an old law against “gravity” knives, which open with a flick of the hand, which is possible for most folding knives, if you practice. So NYC cops like to watch for people who have a knife clipped to their pocket, and arrest them for having a gravity knife, when it’s just a normal folder. The president of the stage hand’s union, whose members are required to have a knife on them at work, spend a considerable time each month writing letters to the court, requesting his union members have their cases dismissed since they are required to carry a knife.
EncryptKeeper@lemmy.world
on 03 Jun 15:29
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It’s worth it to note that the majority of US states have similar laws regarding the carrying of blades over a certain length in public, and almost all public transit systems in the United States heavily restrict or outright forbid weapons on public transit.
The USA is really an exemption that people are allowed to carry assault rifles, grenade launchers and flamethrowers in the subway
Not only is this hyperbole categorically false on its face, but it’s often even illegal to bring blunt self defense weapons onto the Subway like brass knuckles, clubs etc.
Uk law is you can carry up to a 3.5" folding knife as a general EDC.
Obviously exemptions if your job requires it but they need to be stored correctly so chefs put them in canvas rolls, trades tool boxes etc
SpongyAneurysm@feddit.org
on 03 Jun 08:40
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Can’t tell you how it is in the UK, but here in Germany, you’re only allowed to carry knives with short blades (<= 12 cm, IIRC) in public, anything larger than that has to be stowed away safely, so that it cant be reached easily. A locked container would be ideal, but the precise definition is a bit wishy washy, and there are also designated areas, where even the small ones are not allowed (or fall under the same restrictions. I’m not really sure).
Furthermore, there are knives, which are just generally outlawed depending on their construction; like spring-loaded knives and butterfly knives, for example.
If there are at least similar regulations in the UK, the Sikh’s ceremonial daggers, could fall into a category that would usually be banned, but with an exemption for religious reasons.
Some of the rules here are a bit silly, imho, but the fact, that we don’t treat a small paring knife the same as an army combat knife at least makes sense to me.
That makes sense. Good to know I probably haven’t been doing anything illegal by carrying a swiss army knife in the S Bahn
NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net
on 03 Jun 08:53
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Swiss army knives are also permitted in most places thanks to their lack of locking mechanism, iirc there’s a specific law in place about locking knives of any length, but I’m not going to trawl through pages of constabularyspeak to find out.
SpongyAneurysm@feddit.org
on 03 Jun 09:15
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You probably haven’t, but the reasons why are actually still a bit more complicated.
Having a typical Swiss army knife on you usually isn’t a problem. But the afore mentioned designated areas are often found around train stations, especially in larger cities, and a few years ago the law designated vehicles and areas of public transport as such areas per se.
That’s one scenario, where you might end up getting in trouble completely unaware.
Again, there are exemptions, that should enable you to take your Swiss army knife on the train and travel with it, without getting in trouble. But the phrasing is pretty wishy washy still. One exemption, for example, allows carrying knives for “generally accepted purposes”, whatever that is.
In theory, you should be perfectly fine travelling with a small pocket knife, but no guarantee, that the individual law enforcement officer would accept your purpose of transport and travelling. So you better make sure, you look white and at least middle class enough…
And god forbid, you actually end up in a situation, where you’d have to use said knife in self-defense and hurt someone. You might end up having to defend your purpose of carrying a knife in the first place in court.
Thing 1: The UK law is that citizens should not carry a knife exceeding 3" in length in public unless they have good reason to. In reality, what this means is that unless you are a scumbag, there is not a problem. Going hunting? On the tools? Work as a chef? Not an issue. Being a sketchy gang member who intends to do harm to others? - now the public services have something to charge you with to prevent said behaviour. While there are exemptions to the rule for religious/cultural groups (Scots included), the reality is that it’s a non issue unless you plan on breaking the law.
Thing 2: The UK police have been chronically underfunded for decades as the wealth of the country has been gradually privatised and offshored by the very same groups who fund political parties like The Conservatives and Reform (who are currently stoking tension with this story) and whose donors, coincidentally, own much of the media. Police now receive very little training and not much pay. The organisation is very under-resourced.
Thing 3: The police officers attended the scene having been told by the perpetrators that they had been attacked and racially abused by a drunk man who then tried to climb over a fence and fell on his head. They entered the scene primed to find a drunk/drugged and violent muppet who had fallen on his own head having attacked a family on a domestic street. The police officers were incompetent, poorly trained, not that bright. What happened was tragic. They failed to perceive the truth… but to say the are somehow racist is a stretch. They were deceived by an unhinged man, who has been locked up already.
Lastly, thing 4: The Sikh idiot didn’t use the standard ceremonial (and often blunt) blade that Sikhs normally carry. He used a larger and very sharp one. I believe his family members (who assisted in the deception; his mother even hid the knife) are being charged with weapons offences today.
threaded - newest
Even if it were a true statement, they had a man stabbed in the heart handcuffed rather than getting him immediate medical attention. Like WTF
18 year old. A kid really, not a man.
So, at what age do you think someone becomes a man?
Sometime around 25, maybe 27.
Some people catch old a lot sooner than others, though
Mid to late twenties you have enough experience and perspective to be reasonably considered adult.
Somewhere between 50 and 60, I think.
Man, I thought American police were fucked up…
The British are always trying to top atrocities.
We cant get near that title, American police are significantly more fucked up.
There were 95 deaths directly caused by police in January 2026 alone in the US. There has been 1 in the UK this year so far, 2 if we state this as directly caused by police due to ineptitude.
In an ideal world we wouldn’t have these incompetent fucks running society for the Epstein class, but I’d still take incompetent over bloodthirsty any day of the week.
Well, that’s an impressively stupid thing to say
They arrest people saying peace to Palistine so yeah, just as bad now
This is the thing that should be focussed on. The police have a duty of care to everyone and they failed appallingly here. The worst thing is watching this point being swept under the carpet as the right wing arseholes make racist capital out of it.
I served in the ambulance service
Unlike what movies portray, it’s actually possible to sustain a penetrating wound to the heart, particularly the pericardium, that will take time to be fatal
A patient can be standing there, talking to you, with a small red spot on their shirt
I’m not defending the cops, but it’s not as simple as people think
Have you watched the video?
The murderer is visibly wearing a knife when the police contact him, the victim immediately tells the police he’s been stabbed.
They don’t believe him and don’t even check before cuffing him.
The murderer standing there armed with a knife isn’t cuffed at any stage.
That’s not what I said
Again, I think the cops fucked it
But you aren’t listening, and I don’t care
The point is the cops didn’t even look to see if he was injured. They didn’t ask where he was stabbed. They didn’t look for blood.
Literally just ‘sure ya have’ and cuffed his arms behind his back.
Pure negligence.
He said he couldn’t breathe
Is there any reason to include that the man was Sikh in the headline besides Sikhphobia?
Well the murder weapon was literally a kirpan, so I guess that could be relevant.
TIL, I thought they were symbolic and typically blunt, goes to show how good my RE was, or how little attention I paid. Not that it matters, this one was sharp enough to stab someone to death. Thanks for showing me something I was wrong about.
My wiki research suggests it used to be a sword before the British, it would be ironic if it used to be a dagger before the British…
TBF with sufficient force and/or velocity you can stab someone with a carrot. Would probably have to pick a softer spot, but still
See this article contradicts others I’ve read where it’s said he used a different, longer blade for the attack and not the kirpan.
Regardless of the tool, the person in question has killed an innocent human being. They must face justice like any other would for this misdeed.
The knife used doesn’t look like the typical ceremonial kirpan.
I don’t see the knife in this article.
www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1d2w411rgro
Bottom of the article
The man was specifically allowed to have a ceremonial dagger due to being a Sikh. The Sikh claimed he had been attacked over racial motives, which led the police to discount what the student was saying. So multiple parts of this were very much based on the man being Sikh. You couldn’t properly cover the story without mentioning the fact, so it’s not surprising it’s in the headline
Tbh I was surprised he wasn’t Muslim. The headline I intiitally saw didn’t mention his faith but I saw the thumbnail and noticed the turban and was like hang on is he Sikh.
Why the fuck were you expecting him to be Muslim?
The headline I initially read in the Guardian just said “'‘religious’ knife”. And in general any real or imagined criticism against Muslims can result in extreme intolerance including violence.
is the irony painful to anyone else?
To provide context and information.
Even if the kid was an absolute turd, he didn’t deserve to be treated like that. Acab
Wonder if he gets to keep the murder weapon for use in prison.
The absolute audacity of his family to cover for him and try to obstruct is insane. If they have dual citizenship or they retained their Punjab citizenship they need to be stripped of their UK and deported AFTER their prison sentence.
Don’t be racist, creep
Theres that r-word again everyone is so afraid of that may have led to this kid’s death or at least led to him being handcuffed and his injuries ignored. How is anyone of any creed or color who pulls this kind of shit not worthless filth?
You English cunts have wild ideas about self-defense. No wonder you’ve lost every war you’ve fought in since the 1700s.
Haha, American education strikes again.
Britain’s record since the 1700’s is at 63 victories, 11 defeats, and 10 inconclusive outcomes or stalemates.
(Also they guy stabbed the victim five times in the torso and legs because he found him annoying, not because he was defending himself.)
Your list of ‘victories’ seem to all be against people at least ten centuries behind your current technology. That’s not a war. That’s just genocide. And no, the UK did not win WWII. They were busy hiding in their bunkers while real countries actually fought and died.
(also “found him annoying” is a weird euphemism for “stalking while committing multiple hate crimes and threatening” but that’s why Labor is looking more and more like UKIP these days, brown men can’t defend themselves against “True Englishman” aggression.)
I’m not British. :)
The US refused to enter the war for years because it was afraid.
You can’t help but project, can you?
Also, didn’t you guys lose to a bunch of ricefarmers with sticks and muskets?
No, it isn’t. Even if the guy was being a racist asshole, of which there’s no evidence, despite him having filmed the interaction, that doesn’t justify murder. Jesus, this is like talking to a toddler. No, you can’t stab a person to death because you didn’t like him when he was walking home from a bar.
What fkin stalking? Why are you making up shit?
And even if he did, that’s still not an immediate threat to his life that wouldn’t even non-lethal force, let alone lethal force, let alone stabbing him all over five fucking times.
You’re just a shitstirrer though. I don’t believe you’re actually that illiterate. Or American, tbh. No wörries, I like writing. Keep stirring.
Fellas, is it racist to lock up a murderer?
Fellas is self defense murder
Fellas, is stabbing someone five times to kill them after they filmed you and you didn’t like what they were saying, “self-defense”?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Henry_Nowak#Murde…
Yes that is indeed self-defense and will be found as such in any country that isn’t the UK. Even the US isn’t this stupid, and that’s saying something.
Lol, that doesn’t even apply in the US. You’re always going on about this thing called “freedom of speech”.
Perhaps try educating yourself on what that means?
Please describe in the detail which one of the victims actions necessitated him being stabbed five times various locations?
The guy didn’t even use expressions that could be construed as “fighting words” and even if he did, that wouldn’t necessitate being stabbed over it. Wouldn’t hold up even in US court.
en.wikipedia.org/…/Self-defense_(United_States)#G…
So what was it, specifically?
Wow that site is completely unusable
That’s sick. What is wrong with those police officers?
Incompetence.
I mean, you’ve got to be a power tripping piece of shit to want to be a cop in the first place, so probably that.
ACAB.
In this case, I would venture to guess: lack of critical thinking.
No. You’re adults and leaders. You can be angry but your response should be rational, not emotional.
I think the rational response to most of the stuff Farage says is rage.
The rational solution is to execute the murderer, jail the family for a long time for obstruction of justice and when their sentences are up deport them.
The police who cuffed a dying man should be jailed for negligent manslaughter.
Ah yes, the sharia way, nice.
Show me which part of that is Sharia law.
Death for death.
Bzzzzzt wrong! The answer to killing under Sharia law is Diyah or blood money.
Thanks for playing.
Um, what part of the word “Sikh” made you think of sharia?
Now, as for the killer, he got the highest punishment a reasonable country gives: life in prison.
Beyond that, it regularly starts happening that people who aren’t guilty get executed. It’s very hard to write a law describing when a murder is “clear enough”. Nobody has managed so far. All the countries which sentence people to death sometimes execute people who aren’t guilty.
Go back and read who brought up Sharia.
It wasn’t me champ.
Oops, sorry - reading in a hurry is a great way to make mistakes.
Gonna have to stop you right there
His guilt is beyond any doubt and a bullet is cheap.
There is zero reason to house and feed him.
He should be executed and his rotten family should pick up the bill.
Careful with that edge, you may injure someone with it.
You think the death penalty is edgy? It has been used for thousands of years across numerous societies.
I don’t understand this, isn’t anyone “permitted” to carry a knife wherever they want to in public? Why do they call it an exemption
Edit: Since I’m guessing the answer is “not in the UK” my follow up question would be how do people buy knives there?
Do they have to dodge the cops on their way home from the store?
Because Sikhs have to carry the knife as part of their religion. The religion, however, forbids the offensive use of the knife. It is only for self-defense.
Yeah but I’m pretty sure I can also just put a knife in my pocket and leave my house without doing anything illegal in the process, so I’m wondering why there needs to be an exemption.
Edit: Also pretty sure everyone is forbidden from using knives offensively not just Sikhs
<img alt="" src="https://media.piefed.world/posts/rf/xy/rfxyfNZkf0CEnGr.jpeg">
Many British laws consist of a blanket ban with exemptions rather than the American assumption of legality unless specifically banned. So knives that are legal to carry/legal reasons for carrying a knife are all exemptions rather than an assumed norm.
What if it’s part of religion to carry an AR-15 or even a handgun? Having a weapon gives a distinct advantage over others.
Then you can make that case in court, like Sikhs have done.
I hope someone does.
Not sure about this exact locality, but there totally are places and areas where you are not permitted to carry knifes. The USA is really an exemption that people are allowed to carry assault rifles, grenade launchers and flamethrowers in the subway. Other countries have knife bans in place so that you are not allowed knifes in public transport or in other places
I live in central europe but still would never think twice about leaving the house or entering a tram with a knife in my backpack. I think I actually do still have a swiss army knife in there somewhere that I’ve been carrying literally anywhere I go for the last couple years.
To me it’s a little strange to compare knives, which are primarily tools, to firearms that are from start to finish designed for the sole purpose of killing and injuring living things. My life would be worse without knives, I use them every single day. But I’ve never required a gun for anything
In a backpack, yeah, I wouldn’t worry as someone from Northern Europe.
On my belt though? Again, I wouldn’t worry… if I’m not on public transport and instead hiking in the woods or on my way there with boots and whatnot.
Wearing Friday bests in public transport with a large knife on my belt? Yeah I expect it wouldn’t be too long for someone to contact the authorities. Especially if you were just hanging out in public, displaying it.
And by knife I mean something like this
<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/1dae51e1-8585-448d-9add-1226e06d5a77.jpeg">
No-one would be bothered about a Swiss Army tool in your pocket, though.
Laws are different everywhere, but often blades over 3" are prohibited. In NYC, there is an old law against “gravity” knives, which open with a flick of the hand, which is possible for most folding knives, if you practice. So NYC cops like to watch for people who have a knife clipped to their pocket, and arrest them for having a gravity knife, when it’s just a normal folder. The president of the stage hand’s union, whose members are required to have a knife on them at work, spend a considerable time each month writing letters to the court, requesting his union members have their cases dismissed since they are required to carry a knife.
It’s worth it to note that the majority of US states have similar laws regarding the carrying of blades over a certain length in public, and almost all public transit systems in the United States heavily restrict or outright forbid weapons on public transit.
Not only is this hyperbole categorically false on its face, but it’s often even illegal to bring blunt self defense weapons onto the Subway like brass knuckles, clubs etc.
Uk law is you can carry up to a 3.5" folding knife as a general EDC. Obviously exemptions if your job requires it but they need to be stored correctly so chefs put them in canvas rolls, trades tool boxes etc
Can’t tell you how it is in the UK, but here in Germany, you’re only allowed to carry knives with short blades (<= 12 cm, IIRC) in public, anything larger than that has to be stowed away safely, so that it cant be reached easily. A locked container would be ideal, but the precise definition is a bit wishy washy, and there are also designated areas, where even the small ones are not allowed (or fall under the same restrictions. I’m not really sure).
Furthermore, there are knives, which are just generally outlawed depending on their construction; like spring-loaded knives and butterfly knives, for example.
If there are at least similar regulations in the UK, the Sikh’s ceremonial daggers, could fall into a category that would usually be banned, but with an exemption for religious reasons.
Some of the rules here are a bit silly, imho, but the fact, that we don’t treat a small paring knife the same as an army combat knife at least makes sense to me.
That makes sense. Good to know I probably haven’t been doing anything illegal by carrying a swiss army knife in the S Bahn
Swiss army knives are also permitted in most places thanks to their lack of locking mechanism, iirc there’s a specific law in place about locking knives of any length, but I’m not going to trawl through pages of constabularyspeak to find out.
You probably haven’t, but the reasons why are actually still a bit more complicated.
Having a typical Swiss army knife on you usually isn’t a problem. But the afore mentioned designated areas are often found around train stations, especially in larger cities, and a few years ago the law designated vehicles and areas of public transport as such areas per se.
That’s one scenario, where you might end up getting in trouble completely unaware.
Again, there are exemptions, that should enable you to take your Swiss army knife on the train and travel with it, without getting in trouble. But the phrasing is pretty wishy washy still. One exemption, for example, allows carrying knives for “generally accepted purposes”, whatever that is.
In theory, you should be perfectly fine travelling with a small pocket knife, but no guarantee, that the individual law enforcement officer would accept your purpose of transport and travelling. So you better make sure, you look white and at least middle class enough…
And god forbid, you actually end up in a situation, where you’d have to use said knife in self-defense and hurt someone. You might end up having to defend your purpose of carrying a knife in the first place in court.
So there are some things to consider here.
Thing 1: The UK law is that citizens should not carry a knife exceeding 3" in length in public unless they have good reason to. In reality, what this means is that unless you are a scumbag, there is not a problem. Going hunting? On the tools? Work as a chef? Not an issue. Being a sketchy gang member who intends to do harm to others? - now the public services have something to charge you with to prevent said behaviour. While there are exemptions to the rule for religious/cultural groups (Scots included), the reality is that it’s a non issue unless you plan on breaking the law.
Thing 2: The UK police have been chronically underfunded for decades as the wealth of the country has been gradually privatised and offshored by the very same groups who fund political parties like The Conservatives and Reform (who are currently stoking tension with this story) and whose donors, coincidentally, own much of the media. Police now receive very little training and not much pay. The organisation is very under-resourced.
Thing 3: The police officers attended the scene having been told by the perpetrators that they had been attacked and racially abused by a drunk man who then tried to climb over a fence and fell on his head. They entered the scene primed to find a drunk/drugged and violent muppet who had fallen on his own head having attacked a family on a domestic street. The police officers were incompetent, poorly trained, not that bright. What happened was tragic. They failed to perceive the truth… but to say the are somehow racist is a stretch. They were deceived by an unhinged man, who has been locked up already.
Lastly, thing 4: The Sikh idiot didn’t use the standard ceremonial (and often blunt) blade that Sikhs normally carry. He used a larger and very sharp one. I believe his family members (who assisted in the deception; his mother even hid the knife) are being charged with weapons offences today.
All very sad.