Boy, 17, charged with three counts of murder following Southport stabbings
1 August 2024, 00:12 | Updated: 1 August 2024, 05:29
A 17-year-old boy has been charged with three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder following Monday's Southport stabbings.
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Three girls, six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar, lost their lives in the attack on a Taylor Swift dance and yoga class on Monday.
The 17-year-old boy has also been charged with possession of a bladed article, Merseyside Police confirmed during a hastily arranged press conference at midnight on Wednesday.
Sarah Hammond, chief crown prosecutor for Mersey-Cheshire, confirmed the suspect is from the nearby village of Banks in Lancashire, but was born in Cardiff, Wales.
Two adults - including one organiser of the event - and five children remain in a critical condition in hospital following the violent attack which took place at The Hart Space community centre.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been remanded in police custody and will appear at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday morning.
The development comes after far-right rioters took to the streets in a second night of unrest in London and Hartlepool last night, resulting in more than 100 arrests.
It follows initial unrest in Southport on Tuesday night which saw far-Right rioters target a mosque, a move that was believed to be fuelled by online disinformation which suggested that the alleged perpetrator was a Muslim.
Merseyside Police called it a "significant milestone" in the case.
During the press conference, the force highlighted that this was a "live investigation" and urged people not to speculate about the boys identity online.
It follows a second night of violence, with arrests made in both Whitehall and Hartlepool following clashes between rioters and police, with cars set ablaze, bricks hurled and flares thrown.
Merseyside Police said they continued were continuing to work with Lancashire Police and counter-terror police in the northwest following Monday's tragic attack.
Ben Kentish: 'Despicable' Southport community have had to 'endure' violent scenes
Ms Hammond said during the press conference: "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."
