Axel Rudakubana has received a minimum 52-year prison sentence for the murders of three young girls during a dance class in Southport.
The 18-year-old was sentenced in his absence at Liverpool Crown Court after he indicated that his presence would be “disruptive” during proceedings.
Rudakubana, from Banks, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to all 16 charges on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, tragically lost their lives following the assault at the Taylor Swift-themed class at The Hart Space in the seaside town shortly before noon on July 29 last year.
Since he was 17 at the time of the attack, Rudakubana was not expected to receive a whole life order.
Such orders are typically reserved for offenders aged 21 and over, and only considered for those aged 18 to 20 in exceptional situations.
Judge Julian Goose stated: “Had he been 18, I would have had no choice but to impose life imprisonment without a minimum term.”
“However, current laws do not allow for such a sentence for offenders under 18 at the time of their crime.”
He indicated that the minimum term he would set would be “very substantial,” adding: “It is highly likely he will never be released and will spend the rest of his life in custody.”
Judge Goose confirmed that Rudakubana must serve a minimum of 52 years for his “extreme violence.”
“The damage caused by Rudakubana to each family, each child, and the community has been deep and lasting,” he remarked.
(L-R) Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Bebe King, were tragically taken from us in the July 2024 attack
According to the judge, the violent act itself occurred within just 15 minutes.
“If he had been able to continue, he would have killed every child present — all 26 of them,” the judge commented.
“He was only prevented from committing further murders by the escape of other children.”
After some injured girls managed to flee, Rudakubana “returned to inflict further brutal violence on the youngest victims, stabbing them multiple times,” the judge added.
Rudakubana also pleaded guilty to possessing a knife on the day of the murders, which he had ordered from Amazon, as well as producing the biological toxin ricin and possessing information relevant to terrorism.
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The terrorism charge involves a PDF file titled ‘Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The al-Qaeda Training Manual’, which he was believed to have possessed between August 29, 2021, and July 30, 2024.
The ricin, a highly toxic substance, along with the document, was discovered during searches of his home in Old School Close, where he lived with his parents, originally from Rwanda.
Investigators found documents related to Nazi Germany, the Rwandan genocide, and car bombs on Rudakubana’s devices during police investigations of his residence.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed solidarity with the families of the three murdered girls, stating, “we stand with you in your grief.”
He emphasized that Axel Rudakubana was responsible for “one of the most horrific moments in our nation’s history.”
Shortly after Rudakubana’s sentencing, law officers announced they had received a request to evaluate whether the 52-year minimum term was too lenient.
The Attorney General’s office confirmed the case had been referred under the unduly lenient sentence scheme – only one request is needed for it to be reviewed.
The officials – Attorney General Lord Hermer and Solicitor General Lucy Rigby – have 28 days to determine whether to present the sentence to the Court of Appeal.
To successfully reference under the scheme, there is a high bar; the sentence must not just be lenient but unduly so, such as if the judge made an error or set a sentence outside the typical range for similar offenses.
Even then, the Court of Appeal may choose to refuse to examine the case or uphold the original sentence.
Disorder erupted across England and Northern Ireland for over a week in late July and early August following the attack
Mr. Starmer addressed the country on Tuesday, highlighting that Britain faces a new kind of terrorism threat stemming from “extreme violence perpetrated by lone individuals, misfits, and young men isolated in their bedrooms” after the Southport tragedy.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Rudakubana’s actions following his guilty pleas, particularly how he “became so dangerous” and why the Prevent initiative aimed at countering radicalization “failed to recognize the severe risk” he posed to others.
Despite a prior conviction for violence, he was able to purchase a kitchen knife from Amazon at the age of 17, which he subsequently used in the fatal stabbings, prompting Ms. Cooper to assert that the Government will “introduce stricter regulations to control online knife sales within the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill this spring.”
The attack incited unrest across the nation, with mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers among the sites targeted.
In the immediate aftermath of the stabbings, misinformation circulated online suggesting the suspect was an asylum seeker who had reached the UK via a small boat.
The day following the attack, thousands participated in a peaceful vigil in Southport, but a separate protest outside a mosque devolved into violence, featuring projectiles thrown at police and the torching of vehicles.
In the wake of the incident, over 1,000 arrests linked to the disturbances have been made nationwide, with hundreds charged and imprisoned.
Additional reporting by AFP
