Victims' Group Renews Call for Action on Knife Crime after Qayyum Balogun Death - 11/06/2026

Knife crime has become a "scourge on Irish society" and requires urgent action from both the criminal justice and public health systems, according to Advocates for Victims of Homicide (AdVIC). The victims' advocacy group renewed its call for stronger measures following the death of Qayyum Balogun, saying it had warned as far back as 2015 about the growing prevalence of knife carrying and the increasing use of weapons in violent assaults. Qayyum (21), who was living in Dundalk, was fatally attacked after attending a gig at a premises on Grafton Street in the early hours of June 1st. AdVIC co-founder Joan Deane said the organisation's concerns from more than a decade ago are "more real than ever" and urged policymakers to take action to prevent further families from experiencing the devastating loss caused by homicide. Joan, whose son Russell was murdered in Drogheda in 2003 by his ex-girlfriends brother, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.