Detectives in Melbourne are looking into whether a statue head that was seen on stage during a Kneecap performance last week is the same one involved in an ongoing investigation.
On 10 June 2024, vandals beheaded a statue of King George V at Kings Domain in Melbourne during an Australian public holiday celebrating the monarch’s birthday. King George V ruled the UK from 1910 until his death in 1936.
Authorities initiated an inquiry upon confirming that the head had been taken and that red paint had been splashed on the statue’s base. The case has been under the purview of the Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit since then.
During their show in Melbourne on Friday, the Belfast hip-hop trio shared an Instagram photo that appeared to show the head of the statue adorned with a crown next to band member Liam Óg hAnnaidh (Mo Chara).
Kneecap asserted that the head belonged to the statue, stating on Instagram that it was “put on stage for a few tunes and then whisked away.”
In a statement, Melbourne police indicated that investigators are aware “that the head from what appears to be a statue showed up at a concert in Melbourne on 14 March.”
“Detectives will look into any connection between the two incidents,” they added.
“No arrests have been made, and the investigation is still ongoing,” the statement noted.
The decapitated statue of King George V at Kings Domain in Melbourne has garnered extensive media attention across Australia, with reports appearing on national television, in daily newspapers, and various online platforms.
