Taiwanese girl decapitated in 'random' attack
March 28, 2016
A three or four-year old girl was decapitated in front of her mother, reported Taiwanese media on Monday.
The mother and daughter were on their way to a subway station in the Neihu District when the attacker grabbed the girl from behind and decapitated her with a cleaver shortly before noon local time.
Local TV footage showed a body covered with a white cloth on the pavement near the girl's bike.
Police arrested a 33-year-old man following the attack, according to the government-run Central News Agency. The suspect was being treated for mental illness and already had an arrest record for drug crimes.
The suspect said he did not know the victim, police reported.
Hours following the attack and arrest, an angry crowd gathered in front of the police station where the suspect was being detained. Some in the crowd were waving baseball bats in preparation for a possible attack on the alleged killer.
Violent crimes of this nature are unusual in Taiwan.
rs/rc (AP, dpa)