Three boys arrested over knife attack outside Portsmouth school face no further action
Three boys arrested over knife a attack outside a Portsmouth school will face no further action, police have said.
A 15-year-old boy was stabbed on Lower Drayton Lane in broad daylight at 3.46pm near Springfield School just after it had finished for the day on Monday March 10 as pupils were making their way home, as previously reported.
Police said the victim - understood to be a pupil at the school - was stabbed in the elbow and back leaving a pool of blood on the ground. He was later released from hospital.
Three arrests were made in the days after the stabbing with two 14-year-old boys arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. A 16-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Their bail was extended to Wednesday and Thursday this week as police previously said “enquiries continue”. Now the force has revealed that all three suspects will face no further action with the probe now filed - meaning those behind the stabbing are set to escape punishment.
A police spokesperson said: “Following a review of all the evidence available to police at this time, a decision has been made to file this investigation pending any further information coming to light.”
District Commander, Superintendent Paul Markham, said after the incident: “You will see officers in the area while we progress our enquiries. We’re also engaging with Springfield School, which is close to where the assault took place, to provide reassurance to the school community.
“Anyone with any concerns can speak to one of our uniformed officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team who will be patrolling regularly.
“It’s important that we also highlight that tackling serious violence including knife crime, robustly dealing with offenders and working in partnership to prevent offending remain a priority in the city.”
Anyone with information on this incident can contact police on 101, quoting the crime reference number 44250106313, or at: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/
You can also make reports 100% anonymously by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting their website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/