A teenage girl was stabbed in London over the weekend in what authorities are treating as “a transphobic hate crime,” police said.
London’s Metropolitan Police said Tuesday that the 18-year-old was attacked in Harrow, a borough northwest of the British capital, on Saturday evening. The girl was taken to the hospital and has since been discharged, authorities said.
“This was a shocking and violent attack and we continue to support the victim and her family as she recovers from her injuries,” Detective Inspector Nicola Hannant, who is leading the investigation, said in a statement. “At this stage, we are treating this as a transphobic hate crime and we know this will cause significant concern.”
Four people have been arrested in the incident, Hannant added.
Local media reported that the teen had been stabbed 14 times at a roller skating party after being subjected to transphobic slurs. At least one of the alleged assailants, who is also a teenage girl, appeared in court Tuesday, according to The Standard.
The attack Saturday came almost exactly a year after the fatal stabbing of a British transgender teenager, Brianna Ghey. Ghey was found fatally stabbed in a park in Warrington, England, about 16 miles west of Manchester, sparking global condemnation from LGBTQ advocates around the world.
This month, two 16-year-olds were handed life sentences with minimum prison terms of 20 and 22 years for Ghey’s murder. A vigil commemorating the first anniversary of Ghey’s death was held on Sunday.
“Another young trans woman stabbed multiple times in a clearly transphobia motivated attack,” trans activist Katy Montgomerie wrote on X Tuesday. “How many more until you all see that platforming transphobic extremists day in day out has consequences.”
Authorities urged anyone with further information to reach out to police and said they dedicated “LGBT+ points of contact across London who can offer advice and support.”