A suspect was arrested Monday morning after a woman in her sixties was stabbed as she walked past a children’s playground and a woman in her fifties was stabbed, in two incidents in East London.
Police arrested a 51-year-old man Sunday evening, who was later released pending further enquiries, and a 36-year-old suspect was arrested Monday morning, who has been charged with attempted murder.
Police said the two stabbings, which both targeted older women in the Bow area of east London, were “possibly linked”.
The first victim was stabbed in the leg on Friday evening. At the time of the attack, the perpetrator was described by police as a “black male, aged in his 40s, of chubby build and wearing grey clothing”. He fled on foot.
The incident happened on a path between Legion Terrace and Garrison Road in Bow on Friday, Scotland Yard said.
The woman was taken to a hospital in East London where she continues to be treated. Her condition is not life-threatening.
Detective constable Zack Chughtai, of Tower Hamlets Criminal Investigations Department (CID), said in a statement:
“The victim was on her way back from Roman Road where she had just bought fish and chips when she was approached by the suspect next to a children’s playground and was attacked.
“Our work continues to establish the motive behind this incident and I would appeal to anyone who can assist the investigation to get in touch.”
In the second attack, a 57-year old woman was stabbed at Parnell Road Sunday evening, a short distance from the first attack. Although she received multiple stab wounds, her injuries were not life-threatening, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
Knife crime in London has hit a record high, jumping by 22 percent in the year to December 2017, Office of National Statistics (ONS) data showed in April.
There was also a 9 percent rise burglary offences in a year, as well as a 33 percent rise in robbery, and a 16 percent rise in vehicle-related theft.
Metropolitan Police data also from April showed homicide in the capital is up by a massive 44 percent in the year up to until March, with the number killed in the capital this year hitting 100 earlier this week.
ONS data from January showed that knife crime was up by even more in London, jumping by a massive 38 percent in the capital in the 12 months to September 2017 compared to 21 percent nationwide.
Across England and Wales, around 5.3 million violent crimes were recorded that year — up 14 percent on the year before.
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