LONDON — An 11-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman were stabbed in Leicester Square in central London on Monday, police said.
A man has been arrested and investigators “don’t believe there are any outstanding suspects,” according to London’s Metropolitan Police Service
There is currently no evidence to suggest the incident is terror-related, police said.
The girl and the woman were taken to a hospital, police said, adding in an update that the 11-year-old will require further treatment, although her injures are not considered life-threatening. The 34-year-old woman sustained more minor injures, according to police.
A photograph taken on August 12, 2024 shows police officers standing by a cordoned off area in Leicester square, London.
Benjamin Cremel/AFP via Getty Images
The incident occurred as the U.K. remains on edge after a week of violence as far-right rioters clashed with police. The riots took place across England and Wales and were fueled by far-right activists using social media to spread misinformation.
Those riots follow the deaths of three girls, who were stabbed in a “ferocious” attack during a July 19 dance event in Southport, a seaside town, according to police.
A Police officer stands at the scene in Leicester Square, as a man was arrested with the accusation of stabbing an 11-year-old girl and 34-year-old woman, in London, Aug. 12, 2024.
James Manning/AP
A 17-year-old was arrested and charged with murder, police said. The suspect was from Banks, a coastal village in Lancashire, and was born in Cardiff, Wales, police said.
The Crown Court released the suspect’s name after a judge ruled it could be released despite his age. Although the suspect was born in the United Kingdom, online rumors spread calling into question his immigration status, police said.