Over the past month, Millie-Mae Adams has been representing Wales at the Miss World competition in India. However, beyond the pageant spotlight, the 22-year-old medical student has used her platform to shed light on a serious issue: youth knife crime.
Raised in Caerau, Cardiff, Adams was exposed to gang-related violence from a young age. Her personal experiences shaped her passion for educating young people on how to respond to traumatic injuries, especially those caused by stabbings. After moving away to pursue medical training at the University of Exeter, she began channeling this passion into action.
Adams launched a local branch of StreetDoctors, a UK-based charity that empowers young people with first aid skills and knowledge on how to respond in emergencies involving street violence. The organization operates in over 20 cities, including Cardiff, and focuses on both the physical and psychological impact of such incidents.
“Being young today is incredibly challenging. Carrying a knife is no longer seen as shocking—it’s become normalized,” Adams explained. She noted that her upbringing in a less affluent area of Cardiff made her all too familiar with the presence of gang violence and its effects on local youth.
Adams shared that walking alone in her neighborhood often left her feeling unsafe, emphasizing that knife crime is not confined to major cities. “It’s naive to think it won’t happen in your own community,” she said.
Rather than placing blame on young people for the circumstances they face, Adams advocates for equipping them with life-saving skills and knowledge. “Every young person should be empowered to respond effectively if they find themselves in a violent situation,” she stated.
Crowned Miss Wales in 2023, Adams earned a place in the 2025 Miss World competition, where she chose to spotlight the work of StreetDoctors. Her advocacy earned her the top spot in Europe for her presentation on youth knife crime, a notable achievement within the contest.
As part of their outreach, Adams and fellow StreetDoctors volunteers visit youth groups, such as the St Mellons youth club in Cardiff, to teach basic first aid in emergencies. The sessions include guidance on how to stop bleeding safely and the importance of calling for emergency services.
Teenagers who attended the sessions expressed how useful the training could be in real-life situations. “We learned how to help someone who’s been stabbed and what actions to take to possibly save their life,” said JJ, 14. Another participant, Luke, noted that while knife crime isn’t often witnessed firsthand, it’s a frequent topic of discussion.
The group also engages in virtual reality scenarios, helping teens think critically about de-escalating potentially violent encounters. “Sometimes it starts with a simple argument, and we learn how to walk away before it turns into something worse,” explained Harvey, 14.
What Should You Do If Someone Has Been Stabbed?
According to StreetDoctors, taking the following steps can help save lives:
Call 999 immediately – Ask for an ambulance and follow the instructions provided. You don’t have to share your name.
Ensure your safety – Before assisting, make sure the area is safe for you to approach.
Stop the bleeding – If no object is lodged in the wound, apply pressure directly using a cloth or similar item. If an object is embedded, don’t remove it—apply pressure around it to reduce bleeding.
Knife Crime in Wales and Beyond
In the year ending December 2024, Wales reported 50 knife-related crimes per 100,000 people. Gwent had the highest rate in Wales at 67 per 100,000. In comparison, London recorded 188 and the West Midlands 156 per 100,000, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Data from the Youth Justice Board shows that just over 3,200 knife or offensive weapon crimes were committed by young people aged 10–17 in England and Wales during the year ending March 2024. While this marks a 20% increase from a decade ago, it’s also a 6% drop compared to the previous year, marking the sixth consecutive annual decline.
Adults remain significantly more likely to be involved in knife crime, accounting for 83% of such offenses.
Following high-profile incidents, including the tragic stabbings of two teachers and a student in Ammanford, experts have called for a balanced perspective. Dr. Rhian Croke of the Children’s Legal Centre Wales emphasized the importance of avoiding the stigmatization of young people.
“Most children have never considered carrying a knife,” Dr. Croke said. “To prevent knife crime, we must focus on addressing the root causes—poverty, social exclusion, and neglect—especially in disadvantaged communities.”
