Southport killer Axel Rudakubana first became known to Lancashire council five years before horrific murders

Lancashire County Council has confirmed that Axel Rudakubana first became known to its Children's Social Care service five years before the “barbaric” Southport attack.

Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, died after the then-17-year-old carried out a frenzied knife attack during a Taylor Swift-themed children's holiday club class at the Hart Space on July 29, 2024.

Rudakubana surprised everyone by changing his pleas on the first day of his trial at LIverpool Crown Court on Monday (January 20), pleading guilty to their murders.

The 18-year-old also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of eight other children - who cannot be named for legal reasons - and to the attempted murder of dance instructor Leanne Lucas and local businessman John Hayes, as well as to possession of a knife, production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism - in the form of an Al Qaeda manual.

Following Rudakubana’s guilty plea, it was revealed that he was referred to the government anti-extremism scheme Prevent three times before the murders and excluded from Formby Range High School after he brought a knife to school and attacked another child with a hockey stick.

It is also understood that just a week before the horrific attack at The Hart Space, Rudakubana, then 17, booked a taxi to take him to his former school, but was stopped by his father. He is said to have been wearing the same hooded sweatshirt and surgical mask he wore during the attack.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a public inquiry into the failings that allowed Axel Rudakubana to commit such heinous crimes, stating that despite three referrals to Prevent, “a judgment was made that he did not meet the threshold for intervention – a judgment that was clearly wrong and which failed those families”.

Lancashire County Council welcomed the inquiry and confirmed that Rudakubana first became known to its Children's Social Care service in 2019. A spokesperson for the local authority said: "The families of the three young girls who were murdered, and all the other victims of this terrible crime are uppermost in our thoughts. Along with everyone in the country, we were utterly shocked and horrified by what happened.

“Axel Rudakubana first became known to Children's Social Care in 2019. A multi-agency assessment was completed following the attack in school, which has been well reported. As a result support was offered from various agencies, a Prevent referral was made at this time, with a further referral being made in 2021. Our Early Help Service had contact with him and his family at various times between October 2019 and September 2023.

“Youth Justice Services also became involved in 2020 as a result of a referral order following the attack in school. This involvement focused on offending behaviour and knife crime and this completed in 2021.”

A further social work assessment was undertaken in 2022 - a carers assessment - and Lancashire County Council immediately became involved with Rudakubana again following the incident in Southport.

A spokesperson continued: “Following the conviction of Axel Rudakubana, we welcome the announcement of an independent public inquiry and will fully cooperate with the process. In addition to the public inquiry, a wide ranging and independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review (CSPR) has been commissioned by the Lancashire Children's Safeguarding Assurance Partnership.

“The practice review will thoroughly consider the contact agencies had with Axel Rudakubana prior to this tragic incident. It is important that this review is not pre-judged and it provides an opportunity to identify learning surrounding his actions."