The highly anticipated trial of the alleged perpetrator of the murder of three little girls in England, which shocked the country and sparked violent riots, opens this Monday. The 18-year-old suspect remains silent for the moment regarding the accusations against him. A high-tension trial…
It is an extraordinary and high-tension trial which opens this Monday before the Liverpool Criminal Court. Axel Rudakubana, 18, is on trial for the murder of three girls at the end of July in Southport, in the northwest of England, during a dance class inspired by pop star Taylor Swift. His stabbing attack, one of the worst the country has seen in years, deeply shocked the United Kingdom. Ten other people, including eight children, were injured.
An affair that shook the country and sparked violent riots
But beyond the horror of the crime, it was the wave of violence that followed which left its mark. Amid unfounded rumors circulating on the Internet about the suspect, wrongly presented as a Muslim asylum seeker, anti-immigration riots broke out in dozens of towns in England and Northern Ireland, fueled by extreme agitators. RIGHT.
For several days, rioters attacked hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques. Clashes took place with the police, mobilized en masse, or with counter-protesters. The country had not experienced such violence for 13 years. Anti-racist rallies were finally organized at the beginning of August to say “stop the far right”.
A silent suspect who denies the charges against him
Born in Wales to a family originally from Rwanda, the young accused appeared in court several times before his trial, but has so far refused to speak, including whether he was pleading guilty or not. The judge therefore considered that he denied the charges against him.
-In addition to the three murders, he is also charged with attempted murder of the other victims. And he was also indicted in October for “possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism”, being accused by the police of having produced ricin, a very toxic poison, and held an Al-Qaeda training manual. However, terrorist motivation was not considered for the attack.
A wave of emotion and support from celebrities for the victims
The affair aroused great emotion throughout the country. King Charles III visited the scene of the tragedy in August to meet the surviving children. Singer Taylor Swift, whose music was being danced by the young victims at the time of the attack, said she was “completely shocked” and reportedly met two injured girls on the sidelines of her concerts in London. Prince William and his wife Kate also made the trip in October to pay tribute to the relief efforts.
Criticism of police action and judicial repression
Beyond the emotion, this affair also highlighted flaws. A monitoring body estimated that the police had underestimated the climate of violence and the weight of disinformation which led to the riots. As of mid-December, more than 410 people had already been sentenced across the country for their involvement in this violence, including more than 360 in prison. The heaviest sentences handed down were 9 years in prison.
While the trial is scheduled to last four weeks, the country is holding its breath. Justice will have to determine the degree of responsibility of the young accused and shed light on the motives behind his action. With in the background the questions of the climate of hatred fueled by the extreme right and the role of social networks in the propagation of toxic rumors. A symptomatic process of the ills and fractures that run through British society.
