Axel Rudakubana, an 18-year-old, admitted today to the brutal murders of three young girls—Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9—during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, which occurred on July 29, 2022. The attack, which left ten others injured, incited nationwide riots fueled by misinformation about Rudakubana’s background. Despite being reported three times to the UK’s Prevent program due to concerns about his violent interests, he was deemed not a terrorism risk. The incident has prompted government investigations into failures within safeguarding systems, questioning how Rudakubana’s risks went unaddressed.
THIS is the moment a teenage attacker paced back and forth as he waited for a taxi before the horrific dance class murders in Southport that shocked the nation.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, admitted today to the murders of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9. , he was taken into a taxi just before he started to go wild.
The Cardiff-born teenager, who was 17 at the time, brutally murdered children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at a community center in the Merseyside town on July 29 last year, as well as others. 10 people were injured.
This unspeakable incident sparked nationwide riots, with many immigrant hotels and mosques targeted, after misinformation and conspiracy theories that he was an immigrant were spread online.
Welsh-born Rudakbana, who lives in Banks, Lancashire, was picked up by local driver Gary Poland before the murders.
He waited outside his home and was filmed walking up and down the 30-minute journey to the classroom where so many innocent lives were taken.
Rudakbana asked the taxi driver to take her to Heart Space, but instead of paying, she got out and went up the stairs to the yoga workshop.
Axel Rudakubana killed Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Pleaded guilty.
THIS is the moment the teenage attacker paced back and forth as he waited for a taxi before the horrific dance class murders in Southport that shocked the nation.
He was filmed waiting outside his home and making the 30-minute journey to the classroom where so many innocent lives were taken.
He entered the store at 11:45 a.m. and within seconds heard screams of terror from the street.
The driver said he was “extremely shocked and upset” by the actions of the person he was driving.
His wife, Lynne, said at the time: “He is unable to talk about it at this time.” He feels terrible.
“All he thinks about is what happened to those kids.”
Neighbors told the newspaper that Poland was a kind man who offered to give them a ride during the coronavirus pandemic.
Rudakubana today admitted the murders of three girls, the attempted murders of eight other children, and the attempted murders of Leanne Lucas and Jonathan Hayes.
He also pleaded guilty to possessing a kitchen knife in a public place, and admitted manufacturing the biological toxin ricin and possessing al-Qaeda training manuals.
A not guilty plea had previously been entered on Rudakbana’s behalf, and a four-week trial was scheduled to begin this week.
Judge Goose apologized to the families who did not come to court to hear the case.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper went on to announce that an investigation would be launched following the guilty plea.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, was one of three children killed in a knife attack in Southport.
Seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe was among three girls killed in Southport attack.
Six-year-old Bebe King was also killed in a knife attack at Heart Space in Southport.
She said: “The families and people of Southport need answers about what happened leading up to this attack.”
It turned out that Rudakbana had been reported to the government’s anti-extremism program Prevent three times because of his obsession with violence.
Cooper said in a statement that the three introductions occurred over a 17-month period between December 2019 and April 2021, when Rudakbana was 13 and 14 years old.
He also had contact with the police, courts, youth justice system, social services and mental health services.
“However, those agencies failed to identify the horrific risk and danger he posed to others,” Cooper said.
“We also want more independent answers for both Prevent and all other agencies that had contact with this extremely violent teenager and how he became so dangerous.” I also need it.”
Sir Keir Starmer today admitted the state had “failed in its ultimate duty” to protect the victims of the Southport murders.
The Prime Minister slammed the “despicable and sick” crime committed by the teenager. He vowed to investigate what happened and said: “The UK will rightly demand answers.” And we will do everything in our power to pursue it. ”
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The Prime Minister slammed the crimes committed by the “despicable and sick” teenager and admitted the state had “failed in its ultimate duty” to protect the victims.
The Mail has learned that authorities were aware of Rudakbana’s disturbing interest in school massacres as far back as 2019.
That same year, he was referred to the government’s deradicalization program, Prevent, for investigating information about the killing of children in school shootings.
It has also been reported that it was referred twice in 2021 after viewing material related to the 2017 London terror attacks.
But experts determined at the time that he posed no counterterrorism risk because he was not believed to be motivated by terrorist ideology.
Downing Street rejected British Reform Party leader Nigel Farage’s claims that there was a “massive cover-up” ahead of Rudakbana’s case.
The Prime Minister’s spokesperson told reporters it was important not to prejudice the trial, saying: “If the trial had collapsed and the attackers had been released, no one would have allowed something like that to happen.” It’s clear what would have happened,” he added.
In a statement this afternoon, Lord Keir said: “We welcome the news that the vile and sick killer in Southport will be sentenced.”
Mr Rudakhbana’s guilty plea follows how he slipped through the cracks, committed horrific crimes and, fueled by online conspiracy theories, unleashed violent and often racist riots across the UK. This will likely increase pressure on Prevent to provide an explanation.
Flower offerings, balloons and stuffed animals filled the streets near the police cordon.
Flowers and tributes have been left at the scene of the stabbing in Hart Street, Southport, along with balloons and teddy bears.
“This is also a traumatic moment for the nation, and serious questions remain to be answered about how the nation failed in its ultimate duty to protect these girls.”
“The UK will rightly demand answers and we will use every means necessary to pursue them.”
After the incident, conspiracy theories arose because the identity of the perpetrator was not revealed. However, he could not be named because of his age. Anyone under the age of 18 who is accused of a crime is automatically granted anonymity.
Rudakbana was 17 at the time and could only be named after Judge Menary KC ruled it was in the public interest to lift the anonymity order.
A judge condemned the “senseless riots” in Britain after the attack, saying maintaining order risked “allowing others seeking mischief to continue spreading misinformation in isolation”. He said there is.
Mr Rudakubana’s guilty plea today reveals how he slipped through the cracks, committed horrific crimes and, fueled by online conspiracy theories, unleashed violent and often racist riots across the UK. This is likely to increase pressure on Prevent to provide an explanation.
Officials are well aware that Mr Rudakhbana may pose a risk, and he has been referred three times to the government’s deradicalization program, Prevent, sources confirmed today.
One of the referrals is believed to have been due to concerns over Rudakbana’s potential interest in child murder in a school massacre, but was deemed not to pose a counter-terrorism risk.
Mourners laid flowers near the scene on Hart Street where three children were killed and 10 others injured in a “ferocious” knife attack.
The riot occurred just an hour after thousands of mourners gathered for a wake in Atkinson, Southport.
His behavior, including an apparent interest in violence, was assessed by Prevent as potentially concerning.
However, he was deemed unsuitable for anti-radicalization programs as he was not considered to be motivated by terrorist ideology or pose a terrorist risk.
Rudakubana was first introduced to Prevent in 2019 when she was 13 years old. There were two further referrals in 2021, all to primary school students living in Lancashire.
On each occasion, he was assessed as not being a counter-terrorism risk and therefore unsuitable for further investigation by the counter-radicalization program Channel, which handles referrals where the person is at significant risk of becoming involved in terrorism. It was evaluated as.
For more information on this case, search for “The Trial: The Southport Dance class” wherever you get your podcasts.