Knife attacker Axel Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls during a brutal stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.
The 18-year-old was responsible for the deaths of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, as well as injuring 10 others, in what was described as a “meticulously planned rampage” on 29 July last year.
As his trial was set to begin at Liverpool Crown Court, Rudakubana unexpectedly entered guilty pleas to all charges, including murder, attempted murder, and terror-related offences. Prosecutors noted that Rudakubana had “shown no remorse” for his actions.
The victims’ families were not present in court, and the judge expressed his apologies, stating, “We had all assumed the trial would proceed in earnest on Tuesday.”
Before a jury could be sworn in, Stan Reisz KC, defending, requested that the charges be put to his client again. Rudakubana pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, and two terror-related charges.
Rudakubana, a resident of Banks, a village in west Lancashire, also admitted to producing the biological toxin ricin and possessing an al-Qaeda training manual, a charge under the Terrorism Act.
Despite the discovery of the manual, Merseyside Police did not declare the stabbing attack a terrorist incident.
Government sources confirmed that Rudakubana had been referred multiple times to the government’s counter-terrorism Prevent programme due to his obsession with violence. Additionally, he had been visited by police on several occasions prior to the attack.
Father stopped Rudakubana from attending former school
In a chilling twist, it was revealed that Rudakubana’s father had intervened just a week before the attack, preventing his son from returning to his former school. The father had pleaded with a taxi driver not to take Rudakubana to the school, where he had been expelled after an earlier violent incident.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has since announced a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the attack, highlighting the multiple failures that allowed Rudakubana to slip through the cracks.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed deep concern over the case, calling it a “moment of trauma for the nation” and saying there were “grave questions to answer” about how the state failed to protect the young girls.
Starmer stressed that Britain would demand answers, and “no stone will be left unturned” in the pursuit of accountability.
A violent and tragic attack
The attack took place during a summer holiday dance class for children at the Hart Centre in Southport. Rudakubana, then 17, stabbed eight other children, yoga teacher Leanne Lucas, and businessman John Hayes, who was one of the first to attempt to intervene.
In the aftermath, misinformation spread online about Rudakubana’s background, falsely claiming he was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat. This led to a violent riot that quickly spread across the country, with over 1,200 arrests and more than 400 charges.
Labour MP Patrick Hurley, who had only recently been elected to represent the town, expressed surprise at Rudakubana’s guilty plea before the trial began, but acknowledged the relief it brought to the victims’ families. He hoped the outcome would provide them with the justice they needed.
Remembering the victims
In the days following the murders, tributes poured in for the victims. Alice was described by her family as a “perfect dream child,” while Bebe’s parents, Lauren and Ben King, spoke of their daughter as a “sweet, kind, and spirited girl.” Elsie Dot’s family described her as “extraordinary” and an “amazing little girl.”
A sea of flowers gathered at the corner of the street where the attack occurred, with people from across the country coming to pay their respects, including King Charles.
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A troubled past
Rudakubana, born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, had shown signs of violent behaviour from a young age. He was excluded from Range High School in Formby at the age of 13 for attacking a pupil with a hockey stick.
His history of violence and instability culminated in the brutal attack in Southport, which has shocked the nation and raised serious questions about how such a tragedy could have been prevented.
Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Ursula Doyle described the attack as “unspeakable,” noting that it occurred “on a day that should have been filled with carefree innocence.”
“Axel Rudakubana was a young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence. He has shown no sign of remorse,” she said.
Rudakubana’s sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, and while a life sentence is inevitable, he will not be subject to a whole-life term due to his age.
