New research reveals that killers of black people may have a greater chance of evading justice compared to those who target white individuals. An analysis of unsolved homicides in London between 2019 and 2023 found that non-white British people constituted 61% of all victims.
When focusing specifically on unsolved murders, 92.9% of cases in the capital were linked to a non-white victim. During the same period, black people accounted for 40% of all homicides and 73% of all unsolved murder cases.
The study, conducted by Action on Armed Violence, also indicated that shootings were more likely to remain unsolved than stabbings. Shootings represented 38% of the 41 unsolved murders between 2019 and 2023, despite accounting for 8.7% of all killings.
Commander Paul Brogden, the Met's head of homicide, stated that serious violence disproportionately affects certain communities, particularly young black men, who have lower trust in policing. This can lead to victims or witnesses being less likely to come forward.
The average age of homicide victims in London is approximately 36, but for unsolved cases, this drops to 28, suggesting a skew towards younger victims in these instances.