A 17-year-old boy faces charges including assault, making death threats and threatening with a knife
Sat 13 Jul 2024 22:44 BST
A 17-year-old boy has been charged with multiple offences after a stabbing attack at a Sikh place of worship in Kent, police said.
Kent Police were called to the Sri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend at 8.10pm on Thursday following reports of a disturbance inside the premises and two women being assaulted outside.
No one was seriously injured and officers recovered a bladed weapon.
The Gravesend teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, was charged on Saturday with assault causing bodily harm, using or threatening unlawful violence, threatening to kill, threatening a person with a bladed weapon and possessing a sharp object in a public place.
He was remanded in custody and appeared at Maidstone Crown Court, where he was further charged with attempted grievous bodily harm.
The teenager was released on bail by the court and immediately detained by police for a mental health assessment. He will appear again at Medway Youth Court on Thursday.
Superintendent Angie Chapman said: “This is an isolated incident and our initial enquiries suggest it is not terrorism-related. We are treating it as a religiously aggravated incident. It has upset local people and our officers will remain on patrol in the area to provide reassurance and engage with the community.
“I would like to thank the local community for their continued support and assistance as this investigation continues.”
Gurdwara general secretary Jagdev Singh Virdee said the incident came as a shock to the community.
“For such an incident to happen in a gurdwara is a shock to the entire community, as we welcome everyone and like to stay in good spirits.”
He added: “Gurdwaras are open to everyone and we want to keep it that way, so we will be reviewing our security to see how we can improve it even further.”
