A culprit but still unanswered questions. Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty at the opening of his trial which is being held in Liverpool, this Monday, January 20, for the murder of the three girls in Southport, on July 29, 2024. The young man, 17 years old at the time of the facts, had been charged with “terrorist” offense after an Al-Qaeda manual and ricin, a very powerful poison, were found at his home. He will be sentenced on Thursday – his guilty plea shortens the trial, which was originally scheduled to last four weeks. In the wake of this admission of guilt, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer maintained that he “there remained serious questions that must be answered about the way in which the State failed in its ultimate duty to protect these little girls”. “Britain rightly demands answers, and we will leave no stone unturned in this quest,” he promised in a statement.
We have “need for independent answers” on the action of government agencies “who came into contact with this extremely violent teenager”, added British Interior Minister Yvette Cooper. In this sense, she announced, this Monday, the opening of a public inquiry, which will allow “to find out what happened, and what needs to change”. According to her, Axel Rudakubana had been known to social services and the police for several years. In particular, he had been reported at the age of 13, and on three occasions, to a government program for the prevention of extremism. Diagnosed with autism, he had been excluded from his school after the attack on another student, and his teachers had expressed concern about his behavior on several occasions.
“No sign of remorse”
Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed a “full report” in order to determine “who in government knew what and when” while Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party, accused the government of “staggering concealment”. “This is an unspeakable attack, which has left an indelible mark on our community and the entire nation because of its savagery and senseless nature,” declared prosecutor Ursula Doyle after the hearing. Axel Rudakubana had a “unhealthy interest in death”, she added, emphasizing that he had no “showed no signs of remorse”.
-The murder of girls aged 6, 7 and 9, in the northwest of England during a dance class inspired by pop star Taylor Swift, shocked the country and triggered the worst riots in thirteen years . Violent anti-immigration protests took place in dozens of cities, fueled by far-right agitators amid Internet rumors about the suspect. He had been wrongly presented as a Muslim asylum seeker even though he was born in Wales to a family originally from Rwanda. The rioters attacked hotels housing asylum seekers and even mosques. Clashes took place with the police, mobilized en masse, and with counter-protesters.
As of mid-December, more than 410 people had been sentenced across the country in connection with these riots, including more than 360 to prison terms. Two men received nine years in prison, the heaviest sentence handed down. An organization responsible for monitoring police action estimated that they had underestimated the climate of violence and the weight of disinformation. Ten other people were injured in the attack, including eight children, in one of the worst stabbing attacks in this country in years. King Charles III visited the site in August to meet children injured during the attack.
