Sheffield stabbings: 'I was horrified to see children playing games involving stabbing'

A Sheffield man campaigning against knife crime has told of his horror to find children as young as 10 playing ‘stabbed’ at a local youth club.

Anthony Olaseinde told The Star: “Some of the kids were playing a game called ‘stabbed’. It’s like a tag, but they were pretending to stab each other.

“[They were] running around and laughing, but shouting ‘stabbed, stabbed, stabbed!’. I had to pull them in and tell them it isn’t okay. It isn’t a joke.”

He spoke out after three separate incidents in Sheffield in the last week in which a young person has been stabbed - causing significant frustration for campaigners like Anthony.

“It’s frustrating, tiring and draining,” he said, “I don’t know how I’m still doing it.”

Always An Alternative was born out of the years of service Anthony had already put into trying to reduce knife crime across South Yorkshire. He has maintained knife bins across the region, where bladed weapons can be safely and securely disposed of and taken off the streets.

However, following the most recent attacks and the new game of ‘stabbed’ emerging, it appears knife crime is becoming normalised beyond what many would have expected, he fears.

Anthony added: “It’s bad, but it’s to be expected now I think. It’s becoming normal because not enough is being done on all fronts.

“The police aren’t being given the powers. We need more police on the streets and in communities. There is the funding, but it doesn’t seem to be going to the right places.”

Anthony called for tougher sentencing on knife crime, adding there hadn’t been a change in the laws on knife crime for nearly a decade.

“I don’t see a leader,” he said. “There’s no strategy and we need somebody who can say ‘look, we have a problem, but we’re dealing with it’.”

Four suspects have been arrested in relation to the three attacks in Sheffield since Sunday, April 7, when a 29-year-old suffered a single stab wound to his armput on Park Grange Road, Arbourthorne.

Three teenage boys, aged 15, 15 and 16, were arrested on suspicion of GBH, but have all subsequently been released.

On Monday morning, a 17-year-old boy suffered multiple stab wounds in a targetted assault in an underpass on St Mary’s Gate in the city centre. The most recent update from police stated the boy remained in hospital in a serious condition.

Finally, a 21-year-old man suffered multiple stab wounds on Staniforth Road in Darnall on Tuesday evening (April 9).

A 28-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder in relation to the investigation. He was remanded into custody at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court today and will appear before the Crown Court on May 10.

The 21-year-old victims remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

“How many times to we have to say ‘enough is enough’?” Anthony asked. “’Enough’ has got no meaning to it anymore.”

If you witnessed any of the attacks or have information, please report this online via SYP’s portal or call 101 quoting the following incident numbers:

Park Grange Road, Arbourthorne: Incident 733 of April 7. 

St Mary’s Gate, Sheffield City Centre: Incident 165 of April 8.

Staniforth Road, Darnall: Incident 761 of April 9.

If you wish to submit dashcam or CCTV footage, please email [email protected].

You can report information anonymously through independent charity Crimestoppers, on freephone 0800 555 111 or by completing an online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org.

Your details will remain confidential and you will not be identified.