Man stabs a girl and her mother in a London tourism hot spot before being arrested, police say
LONDON — A man stabbed an 11-year-old girl and her mother in London’s bustling theater district on Monday before being arrested, police said, adding that there was no indication that the attack was terrorism-related.
The attack occurred outside a tea shop in Leicester Square, a magnet for tourists with its shops, theaters and cinemas.
Workers from nearby shops leaped to the assistance of the victims. Officers arrived within four minutes and arrested the suspected attacker, police said. Police said they weren’t seeking anyone else in connection with the attack.
“I would like to pay tribute to the members of the public, including staff from local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident,’’ Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said. “They put themselves at risk and showed the best of London in doing so.”
The victims were taken to a major trauma center. The girl required treatment but her life was not in jeopardy, police said. Her mother, 34, had less serious injuries.
Seven people remain critically wounded following a stabbing rampage at a dance and yoga class in northwestern England.
The suspect is 32, and police said that at this stage, they don’t believe he knew the victims.
“An urgent investigation is now ongoing and detectives are working to establish the details around exactly what happened,″ Jessah said.
The stabbing occurred during a recent rise in knife crime in Britain, which is on edge after recent days of violence as crowds spouting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans clashed with police in multiple cities.
The disturbances have been fueled by right-wing activists who used social media to spread misinformation about a knife attack that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event.
It was not immediately clear whether Monday’s attack had any link to the unrest.
Police had been braced for further riots over the weekend, but no widespread unrest emerged. Ministers remained on high alert, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said, adding its work was not done in dealing with the fallout from the violence.
Over-tourism backlash: In Instragram-favorite cities and towns across Europe, some residents have reached their limit with massive crowds of tourists.
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