A survivor of the Southport attack has praised a legal firm for taking a step forward in understanding the impacts of knives. Leanne Lucas, one of the injured adult survivors from the Southport attack in 2024, is calling for round-tipped knives to be introduced across society, replacing the standard pointed kitchenware.
Leanne, who was hosting the Taylor Swift-themed workshop at the Hart Space in Southport on July 29 when the tragedy unfolded, has since launched Let's Be Blunt, calling for a national conversation about the need for pointed knives. Her campaigning has now seen the MAPD Group turn to round-tipped knives, pledging support to her campaign.
Legal group replaces over 40 knives
Part of the group is Broudie Canter Jackson, which represents Leanne, with over 40 knives across 11 brands and 15 offices in the group being replaced. As part of the programme, Leanne is delivering educational talks to explore evidence behind safer knife design and what steps can be taken to reduce knife crime. The legal group also hopes it will see other firms follow suit, with knives able to be disposed of using local authority safety bins.
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), latest homicide data for last year shows the kitchen knife is the most used weapon, representing 46% of fatal stabbings. It is believed by Let's Be Blunt that replacing pointed kitchen knives with rounded blades would seriously reduce the risk of serious injury.
Firm backs safety initiative
Chief people and culture officer of MAPD Group, Mairi Probin, said: “Switching to round-tipped knives across our offices normalises safer knife design as part of everyday prevention. The consequences of the attack in Southport were devastating for the community, but Southport is not alone. While a round tip doesn’t stop a knife from being used in a crime or accident, it massively reduces the risk of a fatal injury.”
Managing Director of Jackson Lees Group, Esther Leach, said: “Through our work representing the three adult survivors of the Southport attack at the independent Inquiry chaired by Adrian Fulford, as well as other victims of knife crime, we know first-hand the importance of prevention and education and hope other firms will follow our lead. Leanne is an inspiration, taking her horrendous experience and turning it into something that can help countless others.”
Call for change in how knives are viewed
MAPD Group – which stands for Making a Positive Difference – implemented the safety initiative following a talk by the Let's Be Blunt founder at Broudie Jackson Canter's latest Journey to Justice event, an initiative which explores how communities can work together to create better access to justice, truth and accountability. Staff across the group are now being encouraged to take the Let's Be Blunt pledge to ditch pointed kitchen knives.
Leanne Lucas said: “Law firms understand better than most businesses the truly devastating impact of knife crime and the ripple effect it has on the many innocent victims across the country. We need to change the way we view our pointed kitchen knives as just another harmless kitchen tool and embrace this simple safety measure to protect communities. I’m pleased to see MAPD Group backing the campaign and leading the way on this.”
Leanne continues to campaign for widespread change as she appears across the country voicing her concerns with traditional kitchen knives. In the Southport attack, the weapon used was a traditional pointed kitchen knife he purchased from Amazon, with the teenage attacker also keeping an arsenal of weapons in his bedroom which included machetes and arrows.
