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Teen arrested over south London stabbing of 14-year-old boy
Last updated at 20:45pm on 19.06.08
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy in south London on Tuesday.
The 14-year-old, who has not been named, is fighting for his life in hospital after he was stabbed in front of drinkers outside a London pub.
The schoolboy was treated by passers-by and remains in a critical condition.
After he was knifed in the chest, he collapsed outside the pub where customers thought he was having an epileptic fit.
Forensic officers investigate the scene of a stabbing attack which left a 14-year-old boy fighting for his life
But as blood poured from his wounds, they realised the victim, who is of Caribbean origin, had been stabbed.
Three or four black youths were seen fleeing the scene in Southwark, south London, after the attack on Tuesday.
A 16-year-old youth was arrested earlier today and remains in police custody at a south London police station.
The incident is believed to have followed a row among teenagers on an astroturf football pitch in a nearby park.
A Met Police spokesman said: 'It is believed the victim was involved in an altercation with a number of youths.'
Eddie Suleyman, 32, chef at the Roebuck pub who saw the boy collapsed on the ground, said: 'It was horrific - everyone was shocked.
'At one stage there were two girls treating the poor boy. One was beside him crying and the other was trying to stem the blood from his wounds.
'At first we thought it was an epileptic fit because we didn't notice any blood to start with and he just kind of toppled over.
'A girl stopped to try and help him. Then more and more people were running around to help.
'When one girl turned around and was crying, because she realised what had happened, we realised as well.
'About 25 people were around the boy by the time the air ambulance showed up so it was hard to see exactly what was going on and I couldn't see just how much blood there was.
'But when he was lifted into the back of the ambulances you could see there was blood everywhere. It was awful.'
He is the latest victim of a knife crimewave in the capital.
A total of 16 teenagers have been murdered in London in 2008, while 27 teens were killed there in 2007.
Reader views (2)
Is the Government helping itself by generally reducing sports facilities in London? It seems that in Islington alone (Ben Kinsella lived and was murdered in Islington) the council are proposing to reduce the sports facilities at The Michael Sobell Centre and Finsbury Leisure Centre for for state housing. As these are the two main local leisure facilities in the Borough is it not reasonable to suggest that the Council are encouraging kids to roam the streets by reducing their leisure facilities? When is the Government / Council going to wake up and realise that it's actually more local recreational facilities that are needed to channel young peoples energy away from violence into something more positive such as sport.
- Andrew Green, London
The only way that Britain will ever get knife crime under control is to start taking a zero tolerance approach. All this messing around with community service does nothing to deter kids using knives; 30 years hard labour might.
- Casper Slides, Ibiza, Spain
