Axel Rudakubana, the 18-year-old son of Rwandan immigrants, has admitted to murdering three young girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.
In a meticulously planned attack on July 29 last year, Rudakubana fatally stabbed Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, while injuring 10 others, including eight children, a yoga teacher, and a bystander who tried to intervene.
Ahead of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Rudakubana unexpectedly pleaded guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder, and terror-related offenses, sparing the victims’ families the trauma of a prolonged trial.
Prosecutors described him as remorseless, revealing that he also admitted to producing ricin and possessing an al-Qaeda training manual. Despite these admissions, police confirmed the attack was not officially classified as a “terrorist incident”.
Born in Cardiff in 2006 and raised in Banks, near Southport, Rudakubana had a history of violent behavior, including a 2019 expulsion from school for attacking a pupil.
A week before the attack, his father reportedly stopped him from returning to his former school, suspecting troubling intentions.
The tragedy has sparked widespread grief and anger, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling the murders a “moment of trauma for the nation” and promising a public inquiry into state failures to prevent the attack.
Rudakubana’s actions led to riots across the UK, resulting in over 1,200 arrests. His sentencing is scheduled for later this week.
This article was originally published by the Daily Telegraph New Zealand.
