Hashem Abedi injures prison officers with knife and hot oil

In the United Kingdom, Hashem Abedi, the brother of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi, launched a violent attack on three prison officers at HMP Frankland in County Durham. This incident occurred on Saturday, April 12, 2025, and the officers were subjected to severe injuries, inflicted with a makeshift knife and boiling cooking oil. The Prison Officers' Association reported that the brutal assault left one officer in life-threatening condition, necessitating airlift to the hospital, while the two other officers suffered stab wounds and burns but were later stabilized. Hashem Abedi was serving a life sentence of at least 55 years after being convicted of 22 counts of murder and other charges stemming from his involvement in the deadly bombing at the Manchester Arena in 2017, which claimed 22 lives and injured hundreds more. His mother has been cited in expressing concern over his radicalization and what that might mean for prison inmates and officers alike. This attack, according to the POA, was unprovoked and particularly vicious. The assault took place in a separation center at the prison, a unit specifically designed for housing dangerous prisoners. The POA criticized the presence of cooking facilities that allowed Abedi to access potential weapons such as boiling oil and urged for an immediate review of freedoms granted to inmates like him. The attack returned to the forefront the debate about the safety and treatment of prison staff assigned to high-risk inmates, as many in the rank and file called for greater control and containment measures for such prisoners. Counter-terrorism police have since taken over the investigation, with local police providing assistance. The Justice Secretary condemned the attack, pledging to pursue the strictest punishment for Abedi. This incident has raised alarms about the potential for similar attacks within prison systems, burdening officials with a renewed sense of urgency to evaluate security protocols concerning high-risk and radicalized inmates. Further investigations are likely to emerge as authorities assess the implications of Abedi’s actions on the broader issue of prison safety.