The missed chances to stop Southport killer Axel Rudakubana
Rudakubana was referred to the anti-extremism scheme Prevent three times before the murders, amid concerns over his fixation with violence
A public inquiry will be held into the murders of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport by 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana “that can get to the truth about what happened and what needs to change”.
The announcement came after it emerged Rudakubana was referred to an anti-extremism programme three times before he carried out the murders, and endangered his former teachers and peers.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the 18-year-old had “contact with a range of different state agencies throughout his teenage years” before carrying out his “meticulously planned rampage”.
Ms Cooper said in a statement: “He was referred three times to the Prevent programme between December 2019 and April 2021 aged 13 and 14.
“He also had contact with the police, the courts, the Youth Justice system, social services and mental health services.
“Yet between them, those agencies failed to identify the terrible risk and danger to others that he posed.”
Announcing the inquiry, Ms Cooper continued: “Although, in line with CPS advice to preserve the integrity of the prosecution, we were constrained in what we were able to say at the time, the Home Office commissioned an urgent Prevent Learning Review during the summer into the three referrals that took place and why they were closed.
“We will publish further details this week, alongside new reforms to the Prevent programme.
“But we also need more independent answers on both Prevent and all the other agencies that came into contact with this extremely violent teenager as well as answers on how he came to be so dangerous, including through a public inquiry that can get to the truth about what happened and what needs to change.”
The 18-year-old pleaded guilty to the attack on the first day of his trial. The teenager from Banks,?Lancashire, admitted 16 offences, including three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder at?Liverpool Crown Court?on Monday.?
Sir Keir Stamer said there are “grave questions” to answer about how the state failed the Southport murder victims. The prime minister welcomed the news that Rudakubana pleaded guilty and pledged to “leave no stone unturned” in investigating why the attack had not been prevented.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; died following the attack at the dance class in The Hart Space on a small business park in the seaside town shortly before midday on 29 July.
The defendant admitted their murders as well as the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
A week before launching a knife attack on the dance class, Rudakubana had attempted to travel to his former school as pupils broke up for the summer holidays.
The 18-year-old booked a taxi to go to Range High School in Formby on 22 July, The Independent understands, seven days before he would travel by taxi to The Hart Space in Southport.
On both occasions, he is said to have been wearing the same outfit – a green hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, despite the summer temperatures, and a surgical mask.
Ten minutes after his taxi was booked, at 12.30pm, pupils were due to leave the school premises on their last day of term, it is understood.
On 22 July, however, his father followed him out of the house and pleaded with the taxi driver not to take him.
Rudakubana was permanently excluded from the secondary school over claims he was carrying a knife and later returned to attack someone with a hockey stick, it is understood.
Aged 17 at the time of the attack, Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and had moved with his family to the village of Banks in Lancashire about a decade ago.
Neighbours described the family as unremarkable, but it can now be reported that teachers had concerns about his behaviour from when he entered Year 9.
Rudakubana was excluded in around 2019 after telling Childline that he was being racially bullied and was bringing a knife into school to protect himself, it is understood.
It is not known if he was being bullied or if he ever brought a weapon into the school while he was a pupil.
After his exclusion, he returned to the school and assaulted someone with a hockey stick, the intended target being a former bully or someone he had a grievance with, it is understood. Rudakubana then attended two specialist schools, The Acorns School in Lancashire and Presfield High School & Specialist College in Southport, and teachers were concerned about his behaviour. His in-person attendance at Presfield was less than 1 per cent.
In a statement on Monday, prime minister Keir Starmer said: “The news that the vile and sick Southport killer will be convicted is welcome.
“It is also a moment of trauma for the nation, and there are grave questions to answer as to how the state failed in its ultimate duty to protect these young girls.
“Britain will rightly demand answers, and we will leave no stone unturned in that pursuit.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said ministers must give a “complete account” of who “knew what and when” about Rudakubana, as she piled pressure on the government.
Mr Justice Goose said Rudakubana will be sentenced on Thursday.
He is not expected to receive a whole life order because he was 17 at the time of the murders – the measures can normally only be imposed on criminals aged 21 or over, and are usually only considered for those aged 18 to 20 in exceptional circumstances.
Rudakubana also admitted possessing a knife on the date of the attack, production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before 29 July and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
The terrorism offence relates to a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual which he is said to have possessed between 29 August 2021 and 30 July 2024.
The ricin, a deadly poison, and the document were found during searches of the home in Old School Close which he shared with his parents, who are originally from Rwanda.