On Monday (August 12), another stabbing incident took place in the United Kingdom, where a man stabbed a girl and a woman at Leicester Square in London before being arrested. This incident comes just two weeks after another knife attack at a dance class in the UK, where three children lost their lives, leading to a series of protests and unrest.
The Metropolitan Police in London stated in a release on Monday that they received a call at 11:34 a.m. and arrived at the scene within four minutes.
According to the statement, police provided aid to the victims before the ambulance arrived.
An 11-year-old girl was taken to the hospital due to the stabbing. She sustained serious injuries requiring further treatment, but fortunately, her life was not in danger. Her 34-year-old mother also suffered minor injuries.
A 32-year-old man was arrested on the spot, and the police did not search for any other individuals related to the attack.
Christina Jessah, the Detective Chief Inspector responsible for security in Westminster, said, “This is a terrible incident, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. In the coming days and weeks, we will continue to support them.”
Jessah also commended the public who bravely intervened in the incident, praising them for “showing the best of London by risking their own safety in such circumstances.”
During the attack, several members of the public stepped in to stop the assailant and held him until the police arrived.
The statement mentioned that the incident is currently under urgent investigation, but “at this stage, we believe the suspect and the victims do not know each other.”
“While we continue to work to determine the motive of the suspect, at this stage, there is no indication that this attack is related to terrorist activities,” the statement continued, urging anyone with relevant information to contact the authorities.
Just two weeks before this attack, on July 29, a 17-year-old teenager went on a stabbing spree at a dance class in northwest England themed after American singer Taylor Swift, resulting in the deaths of three girls. Eight other children and two adults were also injured. Following online rumors that the suspect was an asylum-seeking immigrant, riots erupted across the UK, leading to one of the most severe social unrests in the country’s history.