Southport killer was referred to counter-terror
Axel Rudakubana, the Southport attacker who admitted to killing three young girls in a brutal attack, had been referred to the government’s counter-terrorism Prevent programme multiple times prior to the incident, according to government sources reported by the BBC. Despite his known obsession with violence, his case was never treated as terror-related by police. Authorities determined that his actions were not motivated by an ideology, such as Islamism or racial hatred, but rather by a general fascination with extreme violence.
On Monday, Rudakubana, now 18, confessed to the July 2022 murders of three girls attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. He also admitted to charges of attempting to murder eight children and two adults, producing the biological toxin ricin, and possessing an al-Qaeda training manual—a serious terror-related offence. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) described him as a “young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence,” highlighting his lack of remorse for his heinous actions.
Rudakubana was born in Cardiff in 2006 to Rwandan parents and moved to the Southport area in 2013. He attended St Patrick’s Primary School, having briefly been enrolled at Holy Family Catholic Primary School. Rudakubana showed early interest in acting, taking classes at the Pauline Quirk Academy and even appearing in a promotional video for BBC Children in Need in 2018. However, following the attack, the BBC removed the video and clarified that it had no affiliation with him.
His violent tendencies became more apparent during his time at Range High School in Formby. Fellow students recalled his volatile nature, anger issues, and obsession with historical despots such as Genghis Khan and Adolf Hitler. Rudakubana also reportedly accessed information about the IRA. His behavior led to his exclusion from Range High School in October 2019 after he assaulted a pupil with a hockey stick, breaking their wrist.
Subsequently, Rudakubana attended The Acorns School, which caters to students with additional needs, and later Presfield High School & Specialist College. His time in the sixth form was short-lived, with most interactions being conducted through home visits, often accompanied by police for safety reasons. It was revealed in August that he had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and had periods of social withdrawal, refusing to leave the house or communicate with his family.
Neighbors in Banks, West Lancashire, reported frequent police visits to Rudakubana’s family home in the months preceding the attack. On the day of the tragic event, doorbell camera footage captured him pacing outside his home before taking a taxi to the dance studio, where he carried out the stabbings. The victims—Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9—were all fatally wounded.
Initially, Rudakubana entered not guilty pleas to the charges against him. However, on the first day of his trial, he changed his pleas to guilty. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday and is expected to receive a life sentence. However, due to his age, he cannot be given a whole-life term for his crimes, as the law prohibits such sentences for individuals under 21.
This case has sparked significant discussion about the effectiveness of intervention programs like Prevent and the challenges of identifying and managing individuals with a propensity for violence without a clear ideological motive. The community remains in shock as they grapple with the senseless loss of three young lives and the disturbing details of Rudakubana’s background and actions.
