Official UK government legal publications and announcements

Southport Child Killer Sentenced; Families Demand Law Change as Inquiry Launched

Jan 23, 2025, 09:34 AM

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced a public inquiry into the Southport attack, following the sentencing of 18-year-old Axel Rudakabana for the murders of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024. Rudakabana pleaded guilty to the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar. Prior to the attack, he had been referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism programme three times between December 2019 and April 2021, and Lancashire Police had responded to five calls from his home regarding his behavior. Despite multiple contacts with various agencies, including social care, mental health services, and the youth offending team, authorities failed to identify the danger he posed. During his sentencing, Rudakabana disrupted proceedings, expressing no remorse and stating, "I'm so glad, I'm so happy that the Southport children are dead." Because he was 17 at the time of the attack, he cannot receive a whole life tariff, prompting calls from victims' families for changes to the law. Yvette Cooper has called on technology companies to remove violent content accessed by Rudakabana from their platforms, stating, "Companies should not be profiting from hosting content that puts children's lives at risk." The public inquiry will examine the rising issue of youth violence and extremism, as Cooper warned of a threefold increase in under-18s investigated for terrorism.