Southport families 'extremely alarmed' boy who wanted to copy stabbings avoided prison sentence

The families of the three girls killed in the Southport stabbings say they are "extremely alarmed" that a teenager who wanted to copy the attack was not imprisoned.

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named because of his age, was sentenced last week to a three-year youth rehabilitation and criminal behaviour order.

The teenager told police he wanted to emulate Axel Rudakubana, who killed Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class during the summer holidays in July 2024.

At Liverpool Crown Court on 5 March, the youngster avoided a custodial sentence after he pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing information likely to be useful to a person planning or committing an act of terrorism.

Read more: What we've learned from the Southport Inquiry

On Tuesday, the families of the three girls said via their legal team, that "it is unimaginable to be reading about circumstances so painfully similar" to the Southport stabbings.

The statement added: "Elsie, Bebe and Alice were failed at every possible point - failed by the very professionals and agencies who should have protected them.

"Had they acted decisively, our children would still be alive.

"Yet we now face the reality that a 17‑year‑old boy has admitted these offences, expressed ideologies aligned with AR - and still walks free.

"This is about repeated failures by agencies and professionals who knew better, and still did nothing. Our only hope through the inquiry was that no other families would have to endure what we have.

"But, the events relating to this teenager give us real concerns that changes that we were told have occurred, appear to fail again."

Teenager wanted to 're-enact Axel'

The 17-year-old told police last August that he wanted to "re-enact Axel", having collected four knives and bought a green hoodie similar to one worn by the killer.

The Southport families noted that the teenager was twice referred to the Government's anti-terror programme Prevent, but no action had been taken before his arrest.

During proceedings, Liverpool Crown Court heard the boy described Rudakubana as a "hero" with similar interests in "genocides and that".

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Chris Walker, director of serious injury at Bond Turner, the legal representative for the Southport families, also said in a statement that the details about the 17-year-old "are seriously alarming and we felt it was only right that we commented given the focus of the Southport Inquiry".

He added: "We are extremely alarmed at the extremely serious fascination with mass murder, admiration for the Southport killer, and the violent material and manuals reportedly found in his possession, including knives and content capable of assisting a planned mass murderous attack.

"Against this backdrop, we are aghast that a non-custodial sentence and a referral to rehabilitation services have been considered reasonable in circumstances of such serious risk and repeated missed opportunities.

"Given the information in the press, we can not fathom why a rehabilitation order is considered the best way to protect the public rather than a custodial sentence."

The Southport Inquiry, looking at the circumstances that led up to the killings, finished hearing the first phase of evidence in November.

Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford is expected to publish his report on this stage next month.

(c) Sky News 2026: Southport families 'extremely alarmed' boy who wanted to copy stabbings avoided prison sentence<