Crime

Calls for urgent reform as violence among teens rises in Wales

Published

9 months ago

March 12, 2025

VIOLENCE AMONG TEENS LEADING TO CALLS FOR WELSH GOVERNMENT TO ACT

WALES is experiencing an alarming surge in violent crime among young people, sparking urgent calls for the Welsh Government to reassess its approach to youth justice and crime prevention. This growing crisis has led to renewed scrutiny of the Youth Justice Blueprint for Wales, with critics arguing that it is failing to prevent serious offenses, including knife crime, sexual violence, and gang-related violence.

A growing epidemic of youth violence

The issue of youth crime has come to the forefront following several high-profile cases involving teenage offenders. Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Dr. Altaf Hussain MS, has expressed grave concerns about the rise in youth violence, citing cases such as:

The knife attack at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, where a 14-year-old girl attempted to murder two teachers and a fellow student. The girl later told police she did it “for notoriety.”
Stabbings in Mid Wales, where violent altercations between teenagers have left multiple victims hospitalised.
Attempted murder in Newport, highlighting an increasing trend in serious violence among young offenders.

Dr. Hussain stressed that the rise in violent crime is not limited to youth offenders. He pointed out that Wales is “bucking the national trend,” with violent crime increasing in regions such as South Wales and Gwent, even as other parts of the UK see a decline.

“Disturbingly, South Wales Police is the only force to see a rise in sexual violence, and conviction rates remain dismally low,” Dr. Hussain stated. “We need assurances from the Welsh Government that Police and Crime Commissioners have robust plans to tackle violent crime and sexual violence so that families and communities in Wales can feel safe.”

Crime Data: The reality in Wales

Recent statistics support the growing concerns about violent crime across Wales. According to the latest figures:

Knife crime is on the rise across Wales, following a 4% national increase in knife-related offenses in England and Wales, reaching 50,010 incidents in the year ending March 2024 (ONS).
Sexual offenses reported in South Wales increased last year, making it the only force area in the UK to see a rise in such crimes.
1.9 million violent or sexual crimes in England and Wales were closed without a suspect being caught or charged in the year to June 2024, with 89% of all offenses going unsolved (The Guardian).

Additionally, the Crime Survey for England and Wales shows that 0.5% of people aged 16 and over experienced violence with or without injury from an acquaintance, and 0.7% experienced stranger violence, with no statistically significant change from the previous year.

Local perspective: What’s happening in Dyfed-Powys?

Closer to home, Dyfed-Powys Police data provides a clearer picture of crime in Pembrokeshire and surrounding regions:

Violence against the person remains one of the most common offenses in Dyfed-Powys, with reports increasing year-on-year.
Knife-related offenses are rising, although the total number remains lower than in urban areas like Cardiff and Newport.
Drug-related violence and gang activity are emerging issues in towns across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Ceredigion.

The force has warned that social media is fueling gang culture among teens, with platforms like Snapchat and TikTok being used to organize fights and intimidate rivals.

Are current strategies failing?

In 2019, the Welsh Government introduced the Youth Justice Blueprint for Wales, aimed at reducing reoffending rates among young people. However, critics argue that the strategy has failed to address early intervention, and many offenders remain trapped in a cycle of crime.

Dr. Hussain has called on the Welsh Government to take immediate action, including:

Ensuring Police and Crime Commissioners adopt stricter crime prevention strategies.
Increasing funding for youth intervention programs that deter young people from joining gangs or engaging in violence.
Addressing the root causes of youth crime, such as poverty, lack of opportunities, and social exclusion.

“We cannot allow Wales to become a breeding ground for violent crime,” Dr. Hussain added. “If the Welsh Government is serious about tackling this issue, it must act now, before more lives are lost.”

What’s next?

With violent crime continuing to escalate, pressure is mounting on the Welsh Government to take decisive action. The public, police, and politicians agree that something must be done—but the question remains: how soon will change come?

For now, communities across Wales remain on edge, hoping for urgent reforms that will bring safety back to the streets

Crime

Swansea man jailed for online child sex offence dies in prison

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man who was jailed earlier this year for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child has died while in custody.

Gareth Davies, aged 59, of the Maritime Quarter, was serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted in May of sending sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The account was in fact a decoy used as part of an online safeguarding operation.

The court heard that Davies began communicating with the decoy between November and December 2024 and persistently pursued the individual, later attempting to arrange a face-to-face meeting. He was arrested after being confronted by the decoy operators.

Davies had pleaded not guilty but was convicted following a trial. At the time of sentencing, police described the messages as extremely concerning and said his imprisonment was necessary to protect children.

It has now been confirmed that Davies died at HMP Parc on Wednesday (Nov 27) while serving his sentence.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the death, which is standard procedure in all cases where someone dies in custody. No cause of death has been released at this stage.

A coroner will determine the circumstances in due course.

Crime

Pembrokeshire man sent to Crown Court over death by careless driving charge

Published

5 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been sent to the Crown Court to stand trial accused of causing a death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Alexander MacCallum, aged 28, of Beach Road, Llanreath, Pembroke Dock, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Dec 18).

The court heard that MacCallum is charged with causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving following an incident on Thursday (June 13, 2024).

No plea was entered at this stage of the proceedings.

Magistrates were told the case was too serious to be dealt with at magistrates’ level and ordered that it be sent to the Crown Court for trial.

MacCallum was sent to the Crown Court on unconditional bail, with further proceedings to take place at a later date.

The prosecution was brought by Dyfed-Powys Police. No defence solicitor was formally recorded at the hearing.

Crime

Breakthrough in 1993 Tooze murders: 86-year-old man arrested after cold case review

Published

8 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

POLICE investigating one of Wales’ most disturbing unsolved double murders have arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of killing elderly couple Harry and Megan Tooze more than three decades ago.

South Wales Police confirmed the arrest on Tuesday (Dec 17), following a forensic cold case review into the 1993 killings, which shocked the rural community of Llanharry and cast a long shadow over the South Wales justice system.

Harry Tooze, aged 64, and his wife Megan, 67, were found shot dead with a shotgun at their isolated Ty Ar y Waun farmhouse on July 26, 1993. Their bodies were discovered inside a cowshed on the property, concealed beneath carpet and hay bales, having been shot in the head at close range.

The brutality of the killings and the remoteness of the scene prompted one of the most high-profile murder investigations in Wales at the time.

Conviction later quashed

In 1995, Cheryl Tooze’s then-boyfriend, Jonathan Jones, was convicted of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. The prosecution case rested heavily on a partial fingerprint found on a teacup at the farmhouse.

However, the conviction unravelled just a year later. In 1996, the Court of Appeal quashed the verdict, ruling it unsafe and highlighting serious concerns about the reliability of the fingerprint evidence. The decision was widely regarded as a significant miscarriage of justice.

Jones, who consistently maintained his innocence, was supported throughout the ordeal by Cheryl Tooze, whom he later married. The couple have since spoken publicly about the devastating impact of the case on their lives.

Despite renewed appeals and periodic reviews, no one else was charged and the murders remained unresolved for nearly 30 years.

Operation Vega and forensic advances

In 2023, marking the 30th anniversary of the killings, South Wales Police launched a full cold case review under Operation Vega. The review was led by forensic scientist Professor Angela Gallop, one of the UK’s most respected figures in forensic investigation.

Detectives re-examined preserved exhibits from the original crime scene using modern forensic and DNA techniques that were not available in the early 1990s. Police have not disclosed which items were re-analysed or what evidence led to the latest arrest.

On December 17, officers arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of murdering Harry and Megan Tooze. He remains in police custody while enquiries continue. No further details about the suspect have been released at this stage.

Police appeal for information

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Mark Lewis described the arrest as a significant moment, but stressed that the investigation is ongoing.

He said: “While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our enquiries are very much ongoing. This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on.

“Even with the passage of time, I would urge anyone who has information about the murders, no matter how small it may seem, to come forward and speak to police.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact South Wales Police, quoting occurrence number 2300016841.