Attack on Keralite Nurses in Croydon: Passengers Subdue Knife-Wielding Attacker

CROYDON Dec 30: Three Keralite nurses were injured in a racially motivated knife attack on a bus in Croydon, London, at around 7.30 am on December 28. The incident was reported by Mathrubhumi, quoting the husband of one of the victims.

John Paul, husband of Subi (name changed), speaking to Mathrubhumi said he witnessed the attack live while on a video call with his wife from their home in Pathanamthitta, Kerala. Their children were also on the call at the time. “It was around 7.30 am UK time (1.20 pm IST) when the attack happened as they were travelling to work,” he said.

Because of the 5.30-hour time difference between India and the UK, many Keralite families speak to their loved ones in London in the morning, before they leave for work. Witnessing the assault in real time left Subi’s family deeply traumatised.

The attack occurred after Subi boarded her second bus of the day at St Leonard’s Street bus stop. A thin woman, reportedly dressed shabbily, began hurling racist abuse at Indians without provocation. She then pulled out a knife and started swinging it, shouting “Indians”.

Passengers on the bus intervened swiftly and managed to overpower the attacker, preventing further harm. Police are investigating the incident as a racially motivated attack.

Subi, who moved to London three years ago, recalled that her colleague Ashitha (name changed), from Punalur, who was seated in front, narrowly escaped being stabbed. “If the passengers had not stepped in, she would have been seriously injured,” Subi said, visibly shaken.

Ashitha was kicked in the stomach while trying to defend herself and collapsed in pain. The attacker then turned on others. Subi herself was assaulted while attempting to restrain the woman. All three injured nurses—hailing from Makankunnu, Pathanamthitta, and Punalur—were taken to hospital by police and discharged later the same day.

Police said the arrested woman, believed to be around 40 years old, is a drug addict.

Complaints have been filed with the Indian High Commission and the Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) department.

RCN President Bejoy Sebastian Statement

Reacting to the incident, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) President Bejoy Sebastian said on social media that he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the unprovoked racist attack. “This is not just an attack on the Keralite community or healthcare workers who support the UK system—it is an assault on the core values of British society,” he said.

He added that rising racism has been repeatedly raised with the British government and called for urgent action to protect communities and healthcare workers. He also urged the public to respect the privacy of the victims and encouraged anyone facing racism to report it to the police, employers, and trade unions.

Growing Fear Among Malayali Community

The Croydon attack has intensified fears among Malayalis in the UK, as racist incidents targeting the community appear to be escalating from verbal abuse to physical violence. Similar incidents have been reported in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Recently, the car of a Malayali family in Limavady, Londonderry County, was set on fire, completely destroying the vehicle and damaging their garden. In another incident, tyres of a different Malayali family’s car were slashed. Community members have been advised to remain vigilant.

There have also been reports of attacks in Coleraine, where Malayali youths were assaulted while out for dinner, and in Belfast, where a middle-aged Malayali kidney patient was attacked near the City Hospital railway station while travelling for treatment. Police described that incident as serious.

While some arrests, including minors, have been made in connection with racist attacks and related crimes, members of the Malayali community continue to express concern over the lack of significant progress in investigations and the growing sense of insecurity.