London man stabs child and women in a busy square, arrested

Police cordon off an area 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, Monday Aug. 12, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

London’s Metropolitan Police say a man has been arrested after an 11-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman were stabbed in central London.

Monday’s (August 12, 2024) attack occurred in Leicester Square, which is heavily visited by tourists at this time of year.

Police said the two victims were taken to a hospital. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.

The stabbing occurred as Britain is on edge after violence for the past week as crowds spouting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans clashed with police. The disturbances have been fuelled by right-wing activists using social media to spread misinformation about a knife attack that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event.