Study: Violent crimes on rise in UK

A new study says violent crimes, including shootings, stabbings and rape, are on the rise in London and the south-east of England.

The study conducted by the Office of National Statistics comes as the UK police warn of increasingly ruthless behavior by criminal gangs in and around the capital.

According to the study, murders in England and Wales went up 14 percent in the year ending in September, with attempted murders going up 29 percent. Knife crime and firearms offences rose by 9 and 4 percent respectively.

Meanwhile, violent offences went up by 27 percent as London and the south-east witnessed a surge in killings with 75 people being murdered in June alone.

Some politicians blame the austerity policies of the Conservative government for the deteriorating trend.

Shadow Policing Minister Jack Dromey said “the Tories have slashed police officers by 17,000 and broke their promise to the public to protect front-line officer numbers. Now we see the biggest increase in recorded crime in a decade.”

Meanwhile, in a report released by Home Office on January 13, gang members are also pressuring girls as young as nine into group sex, causing them to believe it is normal behavior.