Ian Huntley, the convicted Soham murderer, remains in serious condition in hospital three days after a violent assault inside HMP Frankland, a maximum-security prison in Durham.
On Thursday morning, Huntley, 52, was repeatedly struck on the head with a metal bar by another inmate. Following the attack, Durham Constabulary confirmed on Sunday afternoon that there had been no change in Huntley’s condition overnight.
A spokesperson for the constabulary stated: “The 52-year-old man remains in hospital in a serious condition, with no changes overnight.” Authorities have not disclosed the identity of the suspect, though it was reported that a man in his mid-40s was detained within the prison but has not yet been formally arrested.
READ MORE: UK Drivers Brace for Record Petrol Prices Amid Middle East Tensions
READ MORE: UK Supports US in Military Action Against Iran to Protect British Lives
Huntley, a former school caretaker, was convicted for the 2002 murders of 10-year-old girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire. The girls disappeared after leaving a family barbecue to buy sweets, and Huntley later disposed of their bodies in a ditch.
This recent attack marks another attempt on Huntley’s life. Due to his high-profile conviction, he has been kept under close observation to minimize such risks. This is not Huntley’s first experience of violence in prison; in 2010, fellow inmate Damien Fowkes attacked him with a homemade weapon, inflicting a severe 7-inch wound to his neck that required 21 stitches. Fowkes, who referred to Huntley as a “notorious child killer,” expressed a desire for Huntley’s death during the assault.
Huntley was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years for the tragic Soham murders.