A 17-year-old who was arrested last Monday following the horrific stabbing attack in the seaside town of Southport, north of Liverpool, faces three charges of murder and ten charges of attempted murder.
Three girls—six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar—lost their lives in the attack, which occurred during a children’s dance workshop at the community center The Hart Space in the town. Eight other children were also stabbed in the attack, and five of them remain in critical condition. Two adults—one of whom was an organizer of the event—are also in critical condition following their injuries.
According to Sky News, the accused, who was born in Cardiff, Wales, but had been living in the village of Banks in Lancashire, will appear in court in Liverpool this morning.
In a statement given to the press today, prosecutor Sarah Hammond reminded “all concerned parties” that the criminal proceedings against the accused are active and that the 17-year-old has the right to a fair trial. “It is extremely important that there be no reporting, commentary, or dissemination of information online that could in any way affect these proceedings,” Hammond emphasized, following extensive riots over the past two nights after false claims circulated online that the arrested suspect was an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK by boat.
More than 100 people were arrested last night in London as violent protests erupted over the Southport attack.
Protesters threw flares at the gates of the Prime Minister’s residence on Downing Street, and some in the crowd launched cans and glass bottles. Later, when some attempted to tear down the fence, Metropolitan Police forces intervened. According to an announcement, those arrested face charges of public disorder with violence and assaulting emergency service workers. Some police officers sustained minor injuries.
As reported by Sky News, during yesterday’s protest in the British capital, some participants chanted the name of far-right activist Tommy Robinson, while others shouted slogans such as “Rule Britannia,” “Save Our Children,” and “Stop the Migrant Boats.”
Riots also occurred last night in other British cities such as Aldershot and Hartlepool. In Hartlepool, eight people were arrested for various offenses. Protesters set fire to a police car and threw glass bottles and eggs at officers, resulting in some minor injuries.
In Aldershot, MP Alex Baker condemned the violence in her community, stating that “there is no excuse for disorder” and that such scenes “do not represent Aldershot and Farnborough.”
The chaos in London, Hartlepool, and Aldershot last night comes a day after 53 police officers were injured during a violent protest outside a mosque in Southport.
