- 12-year-old accused of rioting in England
Due to the far-right riots in British cities, the justice system has so far charged hundreds of people, including a 12-year-old boy. The boy is alleged to have participated in riots in the northwest English town of Southport. He is the youngest defendant so far, as reported by Sky News.
So far, the police have arrested a total of 927 people and charged 466 of them. Several offenders have already been sentenced to prison terms. A 41-year-old man who participated in unrest at a hotel near Rotherham, where asylum seekers were housed, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. An 18-year-old who threw stones at police officers in the town of Darlington and cheered about a hit received one and a half years of youth detention.
Prime Minister cancels summer vacation
The British government expressed satisfaction that the situation has recently calmed down. However, they remain vigilant and will not be complacent, a government spokesperson said. She praised the swift reaction of the judiciary. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has cancelled his summer vacation due to the riots and the response of the authorities, the spokesperson said.
According to the industry association UK Hospitality, the turnover in the hospitality industry has partially collapsed due to the riots. This was preceded by a knife attack in Southport, in which three girls were stabbed and several children were injured. False information was spread on social networks that the perpetrator was a Muslim migrant. The 17-year-old suspect was born in the UK as the son of Rwandans.
The judiciary has chosen to exclude minor charges related to the riots from the trials of the charged individuals, focusing solely on the more serious offenses. Despite the young boy's involvement, he will not be tried for charges related to the riots that were deemed excluded by the judiciary.
