Official UK government announcements or legislative records

Teenager Rudakubana Gets 52 Years for Killing Three Girls at Southport Taylor Swift Dance Class

Jan 23, 2025, 05:41 PM

Teenager Axel Rudakubana, 18, who pleaded guilty earlier this week, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 52 years for the murder of three young girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England. The victims—six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar—were fatally stabbed in July 2024. Rudakubana also attempted to murder ten others, including eight children, in what prosecutors called a "sadistic" and "the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious crime." One victim sustained 122 injuries. The judge at Liverpool Crown Court said he did not expect Rudakubana to ever be released, noting that a whole-life term could not be imposed due to his age at the time of the crimes. Rudakubana was given 13 life sentences but refused to face his victims' families during sentencing.