A 17-year-old boy has been charged with several offences following a knife attack at a Sikh place of worship in Kent, police said.
Kent Police were called to Sri Guru Nanak Durbar Temple in Gravesend at 8.10pm on Thursday following reports of a disturbance on the temple grounds and two women having been assaulted outside.
No one was seriously injured and officers found a knife.
The teenager, from Gravesend, who cannot be identified because of his age, was charged on Saturday with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, using or threatening unlawful violence, making threats to kill, intimidation with a bladed article and possessing a bladed article 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 boy was released on bail by the court and immediately remanded into police custody for a mental assessment. He is next due to appear at Medway Youth Court on Thursday.
Detective Superintendent Angie Chapman said: “This is an isolated incident and initial investigations indicate it is not linked to terrorism. We are treating it as religious hatred. This incident has upset local people and our officers will continue to patrol the area to reassure and engage with local residents.”
“We would like to thank the local community for their continued support and assistance as this investigation continues.”
Gurdwara general secretary Jagdev Singh Birdi said the incident came as a shock to the community.
“The fact that such an incident has taken place in a gurdwara has come as a shock to the entire community as we strive to be welcoming to everyone and to maintain a positive atmosphere.”
He added: “The gurdwara is open to everyone and we want to keep it that way so we will be reviewing security and looking at ways in which we can improve it further.”
