Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will make a statement from Number 10 on Tuesday morning about the public inquiry into the Southport attack, where three young girls were stabbed to death. The attack was carried out by Axel Rudakubana, an 18-year-old who pleaded guilty to killing Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar.
Starmer described Rudakubana as “vile and sick” and said there were “grave questions to answer” about how the state failed to protect the girls. The public inquiry aims to provide answers to the families and the people of Southport about how this terrible attack could take place.
The killings took place at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last year, and Rudakubana had been referred to the Prevent programme three times between December 2019 and April 2021. However, despite being known to police, courts, and social services, no one identified the risk he posed.
Rudakubana also pleaded guilty to attempted murders of eight children and two adults, possession of a knife, producing a biological toxin, and a terror offence. He is expected to be given a life sentence but cannot be sentenced to a whole-life term due to his age.
The public inquiry follows criticism from the Conservatives and Reform UK that authorities withheld information about Rudakubana’s interest in violence and terrorism. However, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service had advised against releasing this information to avoid jeopardizing the legal proceedings or prejudicing the jury trial.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj3exxl8zp8o