A 17-year-old has been charged in connection with the horrific knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, UK, which resulted in the deaths of three young girls and left several others injured, according to BBC.
Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar were tragically killed in the attack on Monday.The teenager, who is due to appear at Liverpool City magistrates’ court later on Thursday, faces charges of three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder. He is also charged with possession of a bladed article.
Eight other children and two adults were injured during the attack at the Hart Space community centre, with several still in critical condition.
Ursula Doyle, deputy chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Mersey-Cheshire, emphasised the need for a fair trial, saying, “We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings. Our thoughts remain with the families of all of those affected by these harrowing events”, as per BBC.
In response to the tragic events, over 100 people were arrested during a protest in central London on Wednesday night. This followed separate unrest in Southport on Tuesday, which came after a peaceful vigil to remember the girls who died.
The police continue to investigate the motive behind the attack and are urging anyone with information to come forward.