15-year-old boy stabs both his parents with a knife before throwing himself off 50-foot ravine in front of shocked tourists in Tenerife
A British teenager stabbed his parents with a knife and flung himself down a 50-foot deep ravine, seriously injuring himself on August 28.
The violent attack took place near a bus station in Costa Adeje in the southwestern part of the island of Tenerife, Spain. Since it occurred around the area of Las Terrazas and Avenida de Los Pueblos, places frequented by tourists, the incident shocked a number of holidaymakers who bore witness to it from nearby shops and bars.
After being stabbed by her son, the mother was taken to the El Mojón health center, near Los Cristianos, in Arona. The father was attended by paramedics on the site before being transported to the University Hospital Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria in the capital of Santa Cruz.
The teenager was taken to Hospiten Sur in Playa de las Américas, where he is said to be in a critical condition. He was placed under the guard of the National Police although not officially detained as his medical condition was quite serious.
The identities of the accused and the victims were not released and the family is believed to be residents of the country and not visitors. Also, the teenage suspect is believed to be suffering from certain mental illnesses.
Spain’s National Police confirmed the incident in a statement. "I can confirm an attack with a sharp object thought to be a knife has taken place in the Costa Adeje area," a spokesman for the department said. “The incident happened on Wednesday afternoon. The suspect is the teenage son of the two victims. All three are British and live on the island. After the incident, the teenager allegedly tried to throw himself to his death.”
He added: “All three are still alive but their injuries are considerable. The suspect is under police guard in hospital but has not yet been formally arrested. The investigators believe this is not a typical case of family violence and may be linked to mental health problems the teenager is thought to suffer.”
Although it is not known exactly which ravine the teen threw himself off from, the Sun noted that there is a particularly steep one near the bus station in Playa de las Americas, where the incident took place. Although it is one of the main tourist attractions, it is not surrounded by barriers. The ravine is shaped like a huge inverted dome with huge rocks. The boy reportedly fell a distance equivalent of a five-story building.