‘Sadistic’ killer of young girls sentenced to at least 52 years in prison in UK
By Rob Harris
London: A British teenager who killed three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class has been jailed for at least 52 years for a crime that shocked Britain and triggered days of nationwide rioting.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, admitted killing the girls and stabbing 10 others last July in the northern English town of Southport – an attack so violent that prosecutors said it appeared he had tried to decapitate one of the victims.
Axel Rudakubana admitted to killing the three girls and stabbing 10 others last July.Credit: Merseyside Police
The court was told the last thing he had searched for online before he set off on his stabbing spree was information about the knife attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at the Good Shepherd church in Wakeley, Sydney, early last year.
He was said to have shown no remorse since the attacks six months ago, which prompted questions about how authorities failed to spot multiple warning signs and intervene in his escalating pattern of violence.
Rudakubana refused to come into the courtroom as he was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court, having been removed from the dock earlier due to disruptive behaviour – which included demands to see a paramedic and shouts of “I feel ill”. The teenager had unexpectedly pleaded guilty to all 16 charges he faced on Monday.
After the attack, a series of anti-immigrant riots broke out in Britain after disinformation about the perpetrator’s identity swirled on social media and messaging apps. False claims that he was an undocumented immigrant or newly arrived asylum seeker were amplified by far-right agitators.
Rudakubana is a British citizen who was born in Wales to parents originally from Rwanda.
Justice Julian Goose sentenced him for three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, one of producing the biological toxin ricin, and one of possession of an al-Qaeda training manual, an offence under the Terrorism Act.
In his sentencing remarks, he said: “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.
“He will serve almost the whole of his life in custody. I consider it likely he will never be released, and he will be in custody for all of his life.”
Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Bebe King, 6, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, died, while eight other children and two adults – dance class leader Leanne Lucas and businessman Jonathan Hayes – were seriously wounded.
A fight breaks out between protesters and counter-protesters in Blackpool, following Rudakubana’s attack.Credit: AP
There were reportedly gasps from the public gallery in court as extremely distressing footage of his “sadistic” and “meticulously planned” attack was played on TV monitors.
Since Rudakubana pleaded guilty, a portrait of a deeply troubled young man obsessed with violence has emerged, as has the fact that he was on the radar of the local authorities for years before the attack.
At age 13 and 14, he was referred three times to Prevent, a British counterterrorism program. The first time was for researching school shootings during class in 2019.
Then, in 2021, he was referred for uploading images of Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan dictator, to his Instagram account and for researching the London Bridge terrorist attack. Those referrals were ultimately dropped because it was determined each time that he did not meet the threshold for intervention.
One of the victims, Bebe King.Credit: AP
But prosecutors said there was no evidence that he ascribed to any particular political or religious ideology. Content found on his computer and tablets showed a longstanding fascination with violence, killing and genocide.
The court heard that he had gloated about the killings at a police station after his arrest, saying: “It’s a good thing those children are dead . . . so glad . . . so happy.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said following the verdict that the thoughts of the entire nation were with the families and everyone affected by the “unimaginable horrors”.
“No words will ever be able to capture the depth of their pain,” Starmer said.
“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.”
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