15-year-old British boy stabs his parents in front of shocked tourists and then throws himself into a 50ft ravine on Tenerife
- Teen stabbed his parents in front of stunned tourists in Costa Adeje Wednesday
- He is in a critical condition after throwing himself off a nearby 50ft ravine
- Mother and father, who live on Tenerife, remain in hospital with knife wounds
- Boy has not been arrested but is being guarded by officers at his hospital bed
A 15-year-old British boy stabbed his parents in front of shocked tourists and then threw himself down a 50ft ravine on Tenerife yesterday.
The boy tried to kill himself close to a bus station after knifing his parents in front of bars and restaurants in Costa Adeje in the south of the island.
Paramedics rushed to the scene and the boy’s mother was taken to a nearby A&E while his father was transferred to the University Hospital on the other side of the island.
The teenager is said to be in a very serious condition at another hospital. He has not been formally detained but is being guarded by agents of the National Police.
The attack took place in the town of Costa Adeje on Tenerife last night, popular with British tourists (stock photo)
At this stage, it is being treated as a case of family domestic violence and the mental state of the teenager is believed to have contributed.
The family ls understood to be resident in Tenerife rather than on holiday.
A spokesman for Spain’s National Police said: ‘I can confirm an attack with a sharp object thought to be a knife has taken place in the Costa Adeje area.
‘The incident happened on Wednesday afternoon.
‘The suspected author 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.’
The spokesman 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.’
The stabbing happened in the busy tourist area around Las Terrazas and Avenida de Los Pueblos in the Torviscas area of Costa Adeje in front of shocked holidaymakers.
There are several rocky ravines, including a particularly steep one near the bus station in Playa de las Americas a short walk away and very near the local police headquarters.
The ‘barranco’ is shaped like a huge inverted dome with massive rocks and does not have barriers despite being in the centre of the tourist area.
Michael Lewis (pictured), 23, who was also known as Liam Boland, died two days after he was ‘randomly attacked’ in the street in Tenerife. Two detainees, who were 29 and 30, have been held on suspicion of homicide
The news comes just a week after 23-year-old Michael Lewis, from Ryl in Wales, died in a Tenerife hospital after he was beaten to death in Arona.
Two men aged 29 and 30 have been arrested on suspicion of killing Mr Lewis.
He had only arrived on Tenerife four days earlier on a lads holiday and it was thought he was staying at The Playa Real Hotel in Costa Adeje.