Struggling with violent teen crime

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - The sight of a family mourning a teenage child, killed by young assailants with no obvious motive, is becoming increasingly familiar.

The young victims have come from many walks of life and social classes. An actor appearing in the next Harry Potter film was stabbed to death outside a bar. A former altar boy was murdered in a baker's shop.

Fifteen-year-old Arsema Dawit, who was repeatedly stabbed in the elevator of an apartment block on Monday, was the 16th teenage victim of violence in London this year.

There are fewer murders in Britain than many other countries but the spate of stabbings is dominating the media and political debate, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his struggling Labour government.

"Every parent will want their teenage sons and daughters not only to be safe but feel safe in our neighbourhoods," Prime Minister Gordon Brown told members of parliament on Wednesday.

"That's why knives are unacceptable and we've got to do everything in our power to deter them."

Britain is only 46th in a United Nations table of homicides per 1,000 people -- below the United States, Canada and France.

Murders in London have been dropping overall. Official figures show violent offences have fallen since Labour came to power in 1997 under Brown's predecessor, Tony Blair, with a vow to be "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime".