Southport inquiry chair says young people 'must be diverted from impulses that motivated attacker'

The chairman of the Southport inquiry has said young people "must be diverted from the thoughts and impulses" that motivated killer Axel Rudakubana.

Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, carried out a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024, killing three girls aged between six and nine, and injuring eight other children and two adults.

He was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 52 years.

The second phase of the inquiry, which opened on Wednesday, will examine how to deal with individuals who pose a risk of extreme violence, but where ideology is not the primary driver.

It will also scrutinise the role of the internet and social media in influencing and enabling them, and policies and regulations in relation to the sale and possession of offensive weapons.

In his opening statement, Sir Adrian Fulford said he was "resolutely optimistic" that past failures and means of implementing real change could be identified.

He continued: "More than anything else, young people must be diverted from the thoughts and impulses which motivated AR (Alex Rudakubana) in July 2024.

"We are confronted with a growing challenge from violence-fixated individuals, who all too often are not acting out of an adherence to a particular ideology.

"Instead, the reasons for their interest in violence are various and, as a consequence, they can be extremely difficult to identify.

"All too often, they will be acting entirely alone, having spent endless hours in solitude, relentlessly, online."

The inquiry, at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London, began with a minute's silence for the victims of the attack: nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.

Sir Adrian said the victims and their families "will be at the very centre of our work during phase two". Families of the victims were not in London for the hearing on Wednesday.

The hearing was told that six other cases of violence-fixated individuals (VFIs) would be reviewed by experts to identify "thematic lessons".

Two of the case studies are subject to anonymity orders. The remaining four were named once but will otherwise be referred to by cyphers.

Sir Adrian said he wanted to "ask and encourage" the media not to name the individuals in order to "reduce the risk of providing them with the notoriety they seek and to minimise the risk of imitation attacks".

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The inquiry has made 69 requests for witness statements, including to a range of internet and social media service providers such as X, Meta, Google, TikTok, Roblox and Snapchat.

Its second phase will also examine policies and regulations in relation to the sale and possession of offensive weapons.

The Southport inquiry will next sit on 8 September.

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