Sir, knife crimes are on a steady rise in the UK producing deleterious effects on the victim, family and community. More than 5,000 recorded hospital consultations in England were noted in 2017-18 related to assault by sharp weapons (14% rise compared to 2016-17). Disturbingly, 10-17-year-olds accounted for 21% of all offensive weapon possessions.1 The increase in the number of female offenders involved in Offensive Weapons Related Crimes (OWC) in recent years is alarming.

A 23-year-old Asian female was brought in via ambulance after being stabbed with a knife on the left side of her face by another female assailant after an argument. She had also been hit with a bottle on her head during the same episode. On examination, she had a large variably deep wound of the left cheek with ragged edges measuring approximately 12 cm in length (Fig. 1). The facial nerve appeared to be intact with no global neurological deficit. The patient was admitted for a formal exploration of the facial wounds including assessment of the parotid duct. The wound was found to be just short of the duct. The area was thoroughly debrided and closed primarily.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Left-sided deep facial wound caused by knife assault

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Facial injuries are a common presentation in the emergency department and quite often caused due to interpersonal violence in the UK. However, the rise in OWC presents a number of challenges to doctors and dentists alike with complications such as broken metallic foreign objects, haemorrhage, infection, scarring, fractures, dental injuries and damage to deeper vital structures including blood vessels, nerves and salivary ducts leading to increased morbidity and mortality.

There is substantial evidence to suggest that urban areas are more likely to see OWC, with London (35%) leading followed by West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.2 We anticipate that there will be upsurge of these disconcerting presentations in our general and dental emergency departments unless pre-emptive steps are undertaken by the concerned authorities.