South Africa Condems World Cup Stab Vests

[Bruce]

South Africa condemns World Cup stab-vests


Officials say the stab-vests might draw attention to those wearing them

South Africa's authorities have condemned a London-based company which wants to sell stab-vests to visiting football fans during the World Cup. The national police says the company was causing "unnecessary fear".

South Africa's football boss Kirsten Nematandani has assured visitors that all safety measures were in place.

South Africa has one of the world's highest rates of violent crimes but the authorities say they will tighten security for the tournament.

Protektorvest, which currently sells its merchandise online, says there is a "high demand" for protective clothing and claim the stab-vests which cost close to $70 (£43) are the "No 1 personal protection for the World Cup 2010".

Fans can add their national flag to the vest, or slogans such as "Free hugs" or "Ole".

Protektorvest owner Sascha Cutura denied that the company was saying South Africa was unsafe.

"We fulfil a need from security-conscious people," he told the BBC.

'Out of order'
Mr Nematandani chastised the company's owners and called for them to be "condemned by their own country's officials".

"These people are out of order… we've never heard of such measures being taken before and there surely is no need for it," he said, South Africa's Times newspaper reports.

According to their website, the company plans to open offices near South Africa's OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg for the duration of the World Cup.

Mr Cutura said this is where the company hopes to sell most of its vests.
The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says security officers usually advise foreign travellers to guard against "standing out".

She says tourists wearing stab-vests at football matches or on sight-seeing trips may attract more attention to themselves - potentially increasing their chances of being attacked.

Mr Cutura pointed out that the vests could also be worn underneath clothes to avoid attracting too much attention.

Fan groups in England have also condemned the vests.

[Mosiah]

these...these...aaaarrrgggghhh!

[HL]

Stabbings are as popular in the UK as shootings are popular in certain countries.

In the UK stabbings have become an epidemic>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>read on


Serious knife injuries are increasing, say trauma experts at the Royal London Hospital in a letter to this week's BMJ.

Several recent deaths have fuelled the perception that forensic knife injuries have become an epidemic, resulting in a knife amnesty and government discussion of new punitive measures, write Charles Knowles and colleagues.

An increase in such injuries is supported by data from regional police forces and the Home Office, with 1200 reported attacks in London last year and 30% of homicides caused by knife injury. Crimes defined as "more serious wounding or other act endangering life" almost doubled nationally from 1995 to 2005.

The authors audited knife injuries at their east London hospital, one of Europe's busiest emergency departments, to establish the size of this problem in a representative urban area.

They analysed data on forensic knife injuries (excluding deliberate self harm) from a database of all trauma calls from July 2004 to June 2006. Overall there were 309 forensic knife injuries; 259 patients were admitted, 184 were operated on, and eight died. The chest was the most common area injured, most patients were men, and mean age was 28.

To give a measure of changing incidence over a longer time, they also performed an audit of all cases coded as "stabbing" during the 10 year period from July 1997 to June 2006.

Over both periods, the data show an increase in the overall incidence of stabbings. The increased need for surgical intervention may also reflect increasing severity of injury, they say.

These data therefore seem to support the general perception that knife injuries are increasing, they conclude.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

[HL]

Additionally>>>>>

Stabbings accounted for almost three-quarters of all penetrative injuries with an average cost to the NHS per victim of £7,196. Firearm injuries, accounting for nearly a fifth of cases studied, cost an average of £10,307 per patient, while penetrating injuries caused by vehicle collisions, only 2% of cases, cost the most at £16,185 per patient.

The research, based on TARN data from half (121) of all hospitals receiving trauma patients in England and Wales, was carried out between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2005. The results show that there were 1,365 patients with penetrating trauma injuries, 91% of whom were male. The median age was 30 years.

More than 90% of injuries were alleged assaults, and 47% of the patients were admitted to critical care. Overall hospital mortality rate was 8.3%, and the rate for stabbing was 7%.

"Our findings indicate that the initial hospital costs associated with penetrating trauma are substantial, and vary to a considerable degree by patient, injury and treatment characteristics," said Dr Fiona Lecky, research director at TARN.

"Although the costs of penetrating trauma resulting from shooting are higher than from stabbing, the most commonly used weapon in violent crime in England and Wales is actually a knife.

"At an average cost of £7,699 per penetrating injury from alleged assault and a total of 417 injuries per year requiring hospitalisation for at least three days, the total acute care cost of this type of injury alone may exceed £3.2 million annually.

"Public health initiatives that aim to reduce the incidence and severity of penetrating trauma are therefore likely to produce significant savings in acute trauma care costs.''

[HL]

You know...let me stap>>>>>>
The many recent high profile fatal stabbings that have dominated the media, have raised public awareness of the UK' s growing knife culture

Most people seem to agree with the government, police and other law enforcement agencies, that it's time to act to stamp out the growing menace of knife crime.
Which is why initiatives such as "Operation Blunt" (Metropolitan Police) and "Operation Shield" (British Transport Police) are generally welcomed