Great Britain Hundreds attend funeral for victim of Southport attack
Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of a nine-year-old victim of the knife attack in Southport, England. The crime at the end of July, in which three girls of primary school age died, shook the entire country. Right-wing extremists used it as an opportunity for serious riots.
11.08.2024, 18:05
SDA
The mourners wear white
Hundreds of people lined the street and applauded as the funeral procession arrived outside a church in Southport. Both the horse-drawn hearse and the coffin decorated with flowers were white. The mourners were also dressed in white. The color is considered a symbol of the innocence of deceased children. Pink balloons were also on display.
Nothing is known about the motive of the alleged attacker
The attacker had targeted a vacation dance class and stabbed children and caregivers there. In addition to the nine-year-old, a seven-year-old and a six-year-old girl also died. Several people were injured. However, they have all since been discharged from hospital.
A 17-year-old youth was arrested at the time of the crime. No information was initially available on the motive of the alleged perpetrator.
Riots kept the country on tenterhooks for days
Shortly after the crime, it was claimed on the internet that the suspect was an irregular immigrant with a Muslim name. However, both are false, as the police made clear. The alleged perpetrator was born in Great Britain as the son of Rwandan immigrants.
Right-wing extremist riots kept the country on tenterhooks for days. There were attacks on security forces, accommodation for asylum seekers, mosques and stores. Thousands of police officers were deployed, dozens of whom were injured. The situation has since eased again.
Almost 800 people who took part in the riots or called for violence on the street or on the internet have been arrested so far. Almost 350 have already been charged and several have been sentenced to several years in prison.
