Madam, – Recent deaths from knife crimes do not come as a surprise to those of us who work in emergency departments. On a daily basis we witness the effects of these assaults. We can attest to the fact that they have steadily increased in severity and frequency in the last years. Unfortunately the recent deaths are just the sharp tip of the iceberg. The fact that most people survive these attacks should not deter the medical community or criminal justice policy makers from taking action.
The medical profession needs to have a serious debate about the ethics of breeching confidentiality in the case of such events, much like what has already happened in the UK. We also need to decide as a society if we are content with the modern decline in respect for life. When young men routinely choose to carry a knife “prophylactically” on a night out there is something definitely wrong with the path we have chosen.
Might I also suggest using emergency departments as a bellwether for these and other societal trends. We are uniquely well placed for this task. – Yours, etc,
Dr GERARD O’CONNOR,
Emergency Medicine Specialist
Registrar,
Fairview Close,
Dublin 3.