Teen charged in UK knife attack
SOUTHPORT, England—A 17-year-old male already in custody has been charged with murder for the deaths of three young girls in a frenzied knife attack in Southport, UK police said on Wednesday, while the rampage unleashed demonstrations in London with echoes of blame on immigrants.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had authorized Merseyside Police to charge the suspect with three counts of murder over the deaths of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9.
The suspect will appear at court in Liverpool, in northwest England, on Thursday.
The town of Southport, where Monday’s tragedy unfolded, was still reeling from the attack, and from violent clashes that broke out on Tuesday.
Bottles were thrown at police officers and several people were arrested at the rally, which police blamed on supporters of the far-right English Defence League (EDL), who it said had traveled from outside the area to the seaside town near Liverpool.
A 100-strong group attacked police and properties, throwing bricks at a mosque and setting vehicles and other objects on fire.
Police said 53 officers were wounded, at least eight of them seriously, and that they had arrested four suspects.
Police chief Serena Kennedy said her force was “absolutely planning” for further possible disturbances in the town, but Wednesday passed peacefully.
‘Save our kids’
However, there were scuffles at a protest outside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Downing Street residence, and in Hartlepool, in northeast England.
The scenes of violence have been widely condemned, with Starmer vowing that those responsible would “face the full force of the law.”
Police said the person charged cannot be named for legal reasons because he is under 18 years of age.
In London on Wednesday, thousands gathered near the prime minister’s Downing Street residence, shouting “Save our kids,” “We want our country back” and “Stop the boats,” as well as English football chants.
Police have said the attack was not terrorism-related and that the suspect was born in Britain, quashing speculation on his origins.
A large number of police wearing helmets formed a barrier around the protesters, who earlier threw flares and smoke canisters toward Downing Street.
The police said that over a 100 people were arrested for offenses including violent disorder, assaulting an emergency worker and breaching protest conditions.
Police were braced for further trouble in Southport, where more than 50 officers were injured on Tuesday night in violent clashes. Police vans were set on fire and protesters hurled bricks, bottles and fireworks at officers and cars parked at the town’s mosque.
‘Thugs from out of town’
“Just to reassure the communities of Southport, who I am sure are really worried about ‘are we going to see this again tonight?’—we are absolutely planning for this evening and for the weekend ahead,” Serena Kennedy, chief constable of Merseyside Police, told reporters.
In Monday’s attack in the normally quiet town in northwest England, in addition to the three girls killed, eight other children were stabbed.
Five remained in critical condition in hospital, along with two adults who tried to protect them.
Police statements that the suspect was born in Britain did not stop protesters from targeting the Southport mosque and attacking police who tried to stop them.
Politicians and police said most of those taking part in the violence were not from the area, and that the clashes detracted from a large vigil attended by thousands to pay tribute to the young victims.
Police said 53 officers were hurt, with eight treated in hospital for serious injuries including fractures and head wounds. Three police dogs were also hurt.
