Violent crime falls sharply during Covid lockdown - study
By Steve Swann
Published
image copyrightGetty Images
Covid-19 restrictions led to the sharpest fall in violent crime for at least 20 years, a report suggests.
Violence was down by a third in England and Wales in 2020 compared with the previous year, according to research by Cardiff University. From a violence perspective, 2020 was the safest year on record, said co-author Prof Jonathan Shepherd.
But the report also found that the easing of restrictions was accompanied by rapid increases in violence.
Cardiff University s Violence Research Group analysed data for the whole of 2020 from 133 NHS hospital emergency departments, minor-injury units and walk-in centres, across England and Wales.
Met officer investigated over rape allegations
bbc.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Police stop-and-search powers should be suspended
bbc.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
BBC News
By Steve Swann
image captionDrill rap videos are increasingly being used as evidence in trials
Drill music has captured headlines since it started to emerge in the UK in 2012. With its often provocative lyrics, it s been blamed by police for fuelling violence.
It is also increasingly being used as evidence in trials with courts hearing allegations it incites gang rivalries. But some defence lawyers and academics say it stops defendants - often young black men - getting a fair trial. The BBC has looked into the detail of dozens of prosecutions across the UK.
Wood Green on 2 February 2019 was more reminiscent of a Hollywood film than a winter s night in north London , the Old Bailey was told.