The second phase of the Southport inquiry is due to start today, Wednesday July 8, with families of the three girls urging that “future atrocities are prevented wherever possible.” The loved ones of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, say they want to ensure that “every possible lesson” is learned from the horrific attack.
Evil Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, killed the three schoolgirls and attempted to murder eight more children and three adults in a frenzied knife attack at a Taylor Swift themed dance class in July 2024. Last year, he was jailed for a minimum of 52 years.
Government Accepts Phase 1 Recommendations
Last week Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood accepted the recommendations from the first phase of the inquiry, saying: “In honour of the victims, their families and all affected, meaningful change must now follow.” The first phase criticised the killer's parents, police, NHS trusts and a local authority for failing to act on warnings about Rudakubana’s behaviour.
Sir Adrian Fulford, chair of the inquiry, formally opened phase two today. Chris Walker, Director of Serious Injury at Bond Turner, representing the three bereaved families, said: “The families want Phase 2 of the Southport Inquiry to focus on the changes needed to prevent future mass casualty attacks and better protect the public.”
Families Call for Threat-Based Response
Walker added: “While they support the creation of a new Mass Casualty Attack offence, they do not believe legislation alone will make society safer. The evidence heard so far has exposed a clear gap in how authorities respond to individuals who pose a risk of extreme violence. The families believe the response should be driven by the level of threat posed, not whether an ideological motive is present.”
“Someone planning a mass casualty attack should attract the same level of intervention and preventative action as someone planning a terrorist attack.” He also said the families want the inquiry and government to address gaps around parental responsibility and the duty to warn where there is knowledge of a credible risk of serious violence.
Phase 2 Scope: Four Key Areas
Phase two is set to cover four key areas. The first is the adequacy of arrangements in England and Wales for managing the risk of Violence Fixated Individuals (VFIs). The second is the role of the internet and social media in influencing and enabling VFIs to prepare and carry out violent attacks. The third is the effectiveness of current laws and systems for identifying, monitoring and disrupting the activities of VFIs online. The fourth will look into the effectiveness of policies, regulation and criminal enforcement in relation to the sale and possession of offensive weapons and articles with a point or blade.
Previous Failures Exposed
Phase one of the inquiry criticised the killer's parents, saying he would not have been free to kill if they had done “what they morally ought to have done.” Sir Adrian also slammed police, NHS trusts and a local authority who passed the buck between each other, meaning warnings about the killer’s behaviour never led to meaningful action. Rudakubana was referred to the Prevent programme three times, but the case was prematurely closed each time.
In the government's response, the Home Secretary said a “culture of complacency” had been created, with a merry-go-round of agencies not taking responsibility for the dangers the killer posed. She stated: “The Southport Inquiry identified fundamental failings, across many of our public services, in the years leading up to July 2024. These devastating failures led to the senseless killing of three young girls and violent attacks on others.”
