Home Secretary statement on Southport: 20 January 2025
Source: gov.uk (2025-01-20)

Statement from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Southport.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:

All our thoughts today must be with the families of little Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Da Silva Aguiar, and all those who were harmed by this truly horrendous, barbaric and cowardly attack. Three innocent little girls who went to a summer dance club lost their lives in the most devastating way, other children faced terrible injuries, and they and all the parents and families have had to endure the most unimaginable trauma and grief.

My thoughts are also with the entire community in Southport, which has shown such strength and courage in the face of the unspeakable act of violence visited on their town. I also want to take the opportunity to thank all the police, first responders, hospital staff and prosecutors who have worked in incredibly difficult circumstances from the day of the attack to support the families and bring this case to today’s trial.

It is important that justice has been served today. But nothing will ever take away the trauma and loss endured by the children and families and we will ensure that they continue to receive the support and care they need in the coming weeks, months and years.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has been clear that important information about the perpetrator’s past could not be made public before today to avoid jeopardising the legal proceedings or prejudicing the possible jury trial, in line with the normal rules of the British justice systems. Nothing has been more important than securing justice for the families.

But now that there has been a guilty plea, it is essential that the families and the people of Southport can get answers about how this terrible attack could take place and about why this happened to their children.

The responsibility for these terrible murders and the barbaric attack lies with Axel Rudakubana. The CPS has described him as “a young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence” who has “shown no sign of remorse.”

But the families and the people of Southport also need answers about what happened leading up to this attack. The perpetrator was in contact with a range of different state agencies throughout his teenage years. He was referred 3 times to the Prevent programme between December 2019 and April 2021 aged 13 and 14. He also had contact with the police, the courts, the Youth Justice system, social services and mental health services. Yet between them, those agencies failed to identify the terrible risk and danger to others that he posed.

This terrible case comes against a backdrop over a series of years in which growing numbers of teenagers have been referred to Prevent, investigated by counter-terror police, or referred to other agencies amid concerns around serious violence and extremism. We need to face up to why this has been happening and what needs to change.

Although, in line with CPS advice to preserve the integrity of the prosecution, we were constrained in what we were able to say at the time, the Home Office commissioned an urgent Prevent Learning Review during the summer into the 3 referrals that took place and why they were closed. We will publish further details this week, alongside new reforms to the Prevent programme. But we also need more independent answers on both Prevent and all the other agencies that came into contact with this extremely violent teenager as well as answers on how he came to be so dangerous, including through a public inquiry that can get to the truth about what happened and what needs to change.

This horrendous attack will leave a lasting impact on our country. We will all remember Alice, Bebe and Elsie, and we will always stand with the families and the community who are living with the pain of their loss. In our efforts to answer the questions that remain about this case, the need to see justice done for the victims and their families will remain at the forefront of our minds.