Axel Rudakubana was 17 when he stabbed to death Bebe King, 6, Elsie Stancombe, 7, and Alice Aguiar, 9, at a Taylor Swift dance class on July 29, 2024. On that day, a mass stabbing targeting young girls occurred at the Hart Space dance studio in Southport, Merseyside, where Rudakubana launched an indiscriminate knife attack on a children's Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop. Two girls died at the scene, six injured children and two adults were taken to hospital in critical condition, and a third girl died the following day. The official report into the Southport tragedy highlighted five key failings by Axel Rudakubana's family, public bodies, and mental health services, according to multiple reports, which also indicate no agency took ownership of the risk Axel Rudakubana posed.
Rudakubana had been involved with a range of public bodies from age 13, when he was expelled from school for taking a knife into lessons on at least ten occasions, multiple reports show. According to his father, Alphonse Rudakubana, his son's behavior deteriorated after expulsion from Range High School in October 2019 for carrying knives. Rudakubana became fixated on the belief that he was being bullied and that his life was ruined by his exclusion from mainstream education, a belief supported by his parents, according to multiple reports. He never returned to full-time schooling, initially over fears he might attack other pupils but later because he became a recluse and refused to leave his home, multiple reports indicate.
A report examining the Southport attack is expected to be highly critical of public services that missed or ignored the threat posed by the killer, according to multiple reports. At least six public bodies are expected to face heavy criticism in the report, including two police forces, two NHS mental health services, and local council services, multiple reports indicate. The report is expected to point to missed opportunities, such as when Rudakubana was found on a bus with a knife at age 15, according to multiple reports. By the time of the attack, Rudakubana had not been to school for two years or been in contact with family services or mental health workers for months, multiple reports show.
The inquiry found that Rudakubana's parents minimized and sometimes hid his disturbing behavior, according to research sources. According to Sir Adrian Fulford, Rudakubana's parents bore significant blame for what occurred, were too willing to excuse his behavior, and failed to report the evident risk he posed. Sir Adrian Fulford also stated that Rudakubana's father created significant obstructions to constructive engagement with his son by various agencies. Multiple reports indicate that if Rudakubana's parents had done what they morally ought to have done, he would not have been at liberty to conduct the attack. According to Alphonse Rudakubana, he withheld information from agencies because he didn't want his son taken away.
Joanne Hodson, headteacher at The Acorns pupil referral unit, was very concerned about Rudakubana from day one, describing him as unpredictable and sinister. Despite referrals to Prevent and other agencies, none stepped up to help, leaving the school 'holding the baby', according to Hodson. Rudakubana was referred to the Prevent programme three times between 2019 and 2021 but was not accepted as no terrorist ideology was identified, research sources indicate.
Rudakubana was arrested at the scene and charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, and possession of a bladed article, according to research sources. He was later separately charged under the Biological Weapons Act 1974 and Terrorism Act 2000 for possession of ricin and a military study of an Al-Qaeda training manual, research sources show. Rudakubana pleaded guilty to all 16 charges on 20 January 2025, having initially entered a not-guilty plea, according to research sources. He was jailed for life in January last year and was ordered to serve a minimum 52 years behind bars after admitting murder in January last year.
Police officers Sgt Greg Gillespie, PC Luke Holden, and PCSO Tim Parry rushed to tackle Rudakubana without waiting for firearms officers, according to research sources. Window cleaner Joel Veritie rushed into the building and carried Bebe's body outside, research sources indicate. Taxi driver Gary Poland drove away when he saw screaming children and did not call police for around 50 minutes, taking another fare in the meantime, according to research sources. Rudakubana arrived at Hart Street by taxi shortly before 11:45, booked under the false name 'Simon', research sources show.
The inquiry's principal responsibility is to provide answers to victims and their families and suggest changes to prevent repetition.
The first report from the inquiry into the Southport murders is being released on April 13, according to multiple reports. The Southport Inquiry ran for nine weeks last autumn to examine Rudakubana's history and interactions with public bodies, multiple reports indicate. The inquiry aimed to establish potential failures that allowed the killer to carry out 'one of the most egregious crimes in our country’s history', according to multiple reports. The Southport Inquiry, commissioned by then Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, examined interactions between Rudakubana and agencies before the attack, research sources indicate. The first phase of the inquiry finished in November 2024, and the second phase is due to start in 2026, according to research sources.
The report identifies 23 other child victims, identified by numbers and letters but not named, according to multiple reports. Rudakubana also attempted to murder 10 other people. He seriously wounded eight other children and two adults, according to research sources, though there is a discrepancy in injury reports, with some accounts stating six injured children and two adults were taken to hospital in critical condition, while others note a total of ten others injured.
The day after the attack, rioters clashed with police in Southport and damaged a mosque after misinformation about the attacker's identity spread online, research sources indicate. Mass anti-immigration protests and riots spread nationwide in the days following the attack, according to research sources. Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to overhaul terrorism laws to include non-ideological acts of violence and appointed David Anderson to review the Prevent programme, research sources show.
The Hart Space is a community studio venue on Hart Street in Meols Cop, Southport, hosting yoga, dance, pregnancy, and baby and toddler classes, according to research sources. The workshop was organized by yoga teacher Leanne Lucas and Heidi Liddle, advertised on Instagram on 7 July 2024 as a yoga, dance, and bracelet-making workshop themed around Taylor Swift, research sources indicate. The workshop was aimed at children aged 6–11, scheduled for 29 July 2024 between 10:00 and 12:00 BST, and sold out with 26 children booked, according to research sources.
Key unknowns remain, including what specific actions or interventions could have prevented the attack, given the multiple missed opportunities identified by the inquiry. The exact content of the official report's criticisms against the six public bodies and other entities like Elon Musk's social media firm X has not been detailed. No motive for the stabbings was identified; the prosecution suggested it could have been 'the commission of mass murder as an end in itself' with no evidence of terrorism, leaving the reason unclear.
The report found that agencies must be prepared to deal with parents who are ill-equipped to address the risks of violent children, according to multiple reports. Sir Adrian Fulford called for Rudakubana's parents not to be vilified or unfairly attacked. No consideration was given to putting Rudakubana on a child protection order to remove him from the family home, multiple reports indicate.
The inquiry looked at how Rudakubana was able to access a cache of dangerous weapons, according to research sources, though how he obtained ricin and an Al-Qaeda training manual remains unknown. Rudakubana's parents, Elon Musk's social media firm X, and four knife retailers are also likely to face censure, multiple reports indicate. What changes to terrorism laws and the Prevent programme will be implemented following Prime Minister Keir Starmer's promised overhaul is yet to be determined.