Evil Axel Rudakubana murdered Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and Bebe King, six, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 last year
Keir Starmer has told the families of Southport victims “we stand with you in your grief” after “vile” Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to at least 52 years in prison.
The PM said the attack was an “atrocity” amid demands for the killer to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Rudakubana murdered Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and Bebe King, six, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 last year. He was jailed for a mimimum of 52 years – meaning he will be nearly 70 before he can be considered for release.
In a statement the PM said: “The thoughts of the entire nation are with the families and everyone affected by the unimaginable horrors that unfolded in Southport. No words will ever be able to capture the depth of their pain.
“I want to say directly to the survivors, families and community of Southport – you are not alone. We stand with you in your grief. What happened in Southport was an atrocity and as the judge has stated, this vile offender will likely never be released.
“After one of the most harrowing moments in our country’s history we owe it to these innocent young girls and all those affected to deliver the change that they deserve.”
Southport MP Patrick Hurley has said the sentence is not severe enough and said Rudakubana must spend the rest of his life behind bars. Mr Justice Goose told Liverpool Crown Court: “I consider at this time it’s likely he will never be released and will be in custody for all his life.” Rudakubana was also convicted for 10 counts of attempted murder after the sickening attack at the busy class.
The judge said there were 26 children at the event when the sickening attack was carried out. He said: “It was such extreme violence… it is difficult to comprehend why it was done. I am sure Rudakubana had the settled determination to carry out these offences and had he been able to, he would have killed each and every child – all 26 of them.”
The Government has ordered a public inquiry looking at missed opportunities to prevent the atrocity. The Attorney General’s Office confirmed the case has been referred to the Law Officers under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
They will decide whether to refer it to the Court of Appeal – which could see the sentence increased.
Southport MP Patrick Hurley said the sentence “is not severe enough”. He said: “The sentence handed down today is not severe enough, it is not long enough for the crimes committed, we need a sentence that represents the severity of this crime that has terrorised the victims and their families.
“I have submitted a review to the attorney general to review the sentence , the undue leniency does not reflect the crimes committed and a review is required to uphold public confidence in our justice system.”
Mr Hurley told Times Radio: “For all intents and purposes, Rudakubana was an adult on that day. He was nine days short of his date of majority, his 18th birthday.
“There’s even speculation as to whether or not he planned the date of the attack in order to avoid a full life term and I think if we cannot find a way to ensure that he doesn’t spend the rest of his life behind bars, then we do need to look at what we can do to change the law, because what we’ve seen in court today, it’s just been utterly disgusting and distressing for everybody that’s been following the case and we can’t allow that to happen again.
“And for anybody else that might want to or might look to undertake something similar in the future, these people need to be never set free. Society is much better with them being locked up for the rest of their life..”
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said there is “no doubt” that the state had failed to protect the victims. She said: “He was well known to police, anti-extremism authorities and a number of other public agencies for his violent behaviour. Concerns by his parents were also ignored and overlooked.
“Alarm bells had been ringing for many years. There can be no doubt that there was a failure of the state to protect these innocent children from Axel Rudakubana. Tragically it’s too late for these victims, these families and survivors and so we need action now to stop further attacks by dangerous people already known to multiple agencies. We must intervene as early as possible to stop preventable crimes that destroy lives and communities.”
Earlier the grieving families of two murder victims branded the killer “pure evil”. In a heartbreaking victims’ impact statement Jenny Stancombe, Elsie’s mum, told Rudakubana: “You deliberately chose that place, fully aware that there would be no parents present, fully aware that those girls were vulnerable and unable to protect themselves.
“This was not an act of impulse, it was premeditated.” She added: “You know what you have done, and we hope the weight of that knowledge haunts you every single day.”
Alice’s parents said in a separate statement: “Our dream girl has been taken away in such a horrible, undeserving way that it shattered our souls.”
On Tuesday the Prime Minister said the “barbaric” murder of three girls last summer was a “devastating moment” in our history as he vowed to answer “grave questions” about how the children were failed by the state.
The PM vowed to review our entire “counter-extremist system” as well as look at whether terrorism laws need to change. He spoke of the “unimaginable grief” of their families and said they are owed answers.
Following Rudakubana’s guilty plea, and the lifting of legal restrictions, it emerged Rudakubana had been referred to the government’s anti-radicalisation programme, Prevent, on three occasions between December 2019 and April 2021 aged 13 and 14. He was first referred to Prevent when he was just 13 years old, after he reportedly viewed material relating to US school shootings.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has ordered a “thorough review” of the Prevent referrals, on each occasion his case was assessed by counter-terror police but not then sent for specialist support. A public inquiry will also look to at any “missed opportunities” to identify his murderous intent.
Following the sentencing, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said he should never be released. And Reform UK MP said the killer should face the death penalty.
