A 14-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in broad daylight on a London bus on Tuesday, marking the latest knife-crime incident in the British capital, police have confirmed.
The victim was attacked on one of the city’s iconic double-decker red buses in Woolwich, southeast London. Paramedics treated the boy for stab wounds at the scene, but he “very sadly died shortly after medics arrived,” according to a police statement. No arrests have been made so far.
The incident follows a series of knife-related crimes in London. In August, an 11-year-old girl was seriously injured in a stabbing in Leicester Square.
A 32-year-old man was later arrested in connection with the attack.
In September, another teenager was stabbed to death in Woolwich. Three young men have been charged and are awaiting trial for what prosecutors have described as “tit-for-tat violence with all the hallmarks of a turf war.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has referred to knife crime as a “national crisis.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his condolences on X, writing, “My thoughts are with the family, friends, and wider community in Greenwich following the appalling fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his condolences on X, writing, “My thoughts are with the family, friends, and wider community in Greenwich following the appalling fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy.”
Matthew Pennycook, the Labour MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, also commented, saying he was “deeply saddened that yet another young life has been lost in our community.”
According to the Office for National Statistics, knife crime in England and Wales increased by 4% in the 12 months leading to June compared to the previous year, though it remains below pre-pandemic levels.
The Labour government, which has been in power since July, has pledged to halve knife crime within the next decade. In September, a ban on some knives and machetes came into effect, with further plans to prohibit ninja swords.
AFP
