Leanne Lucas helped to save children from the attack by shielding them with her own body and rushing them from the building to safety
The Southport teacher who was stabbed as she bravely shielded children from the horrific knife attack has launched a campaign to remove the sharp tip from knives. Leanne Lucas, 36, was leading the Taylor Swift dance class last July when deranged teenager Axel Rudakubana burst in and began stabbing little girls with a kitchen knife.
Leanne ‘almost died’ after she was stabbed in the neck, back and arms while trying to save children from his attack. As she has launched her new campaign, Let’s Be Blunt, Leanne revealed she is still so traumatised she hasn’t used a knife since, and has to live with her parents.
Speaking to the Times she said: “Every time I go somewhere, I think: how can I help people if something bad happens? Where’s the fire escape? Have I got my phone in my hands so I can call the police? I’m constantly thinking, ‘At any moment your life can change. “I didn’t realise how afraid I felt in my own kitchen; I haven’t cooked since the summer. I think part of that reason is subconsciously I’ve got a fear.
“I live with my parents at the age of 36 because that’s where I feel safe. I’m hypervigilant and always looking for danger. It crosses my mind every minute of the day. It hadn’t happened here in Southport before, so that’s why I’m trying to get this message out: you don’t know the next place it’s going to happen.”
Her Let’s Be Blunt campaign, is calling for the sharp point on kitchen and domestic knives to be removed, adding that knife crime in the UK is ‘out of control’. Leanne was inspired to launch the campaign after watching Idris Elba’s speak about his knife crime documentary in January, where he also called for blunt tip kitchen knives.
She now wants to see the change adopted and backed by households, manufacturers, retailers and policymakers. Leanne’s campaign has been launched to coincides with Knife Crime Awareness Week, which began on Monday and tonight (Weds) she will attend a parliamentary reception.
Leanne added: There is this anger in me: why do I have to say this? Why is it up to survivors to make a difference?” she explained. “Why not the people making the rules [and] enforcing the law? It’s almost like if I don’t speak, who is going to make the change fast enough?”
Since the attack Leanne revealed she has qualified as a counsellor, but as she fought back tears, added that she doesn’t know if she can go back to teaching. “I feel like I can’t be a teacher any more just that level of responsibility … It makes me really sad and I try not to think about it,” she said.
“Maybe I can work with children in a different capacity. I never would’ve thought I’d have so much interest in this area of advocacy and campaigning and, you know, trying to make that difference. “I may be scared walking down the road, but I’m not scared of saying exactly what I think needs to happen next.