An 18-year-old British man admitted on Monday to killing three girls and trying to kill 10 other people during a brutal knife attack at a dance class last July in Southport, England.
The defendant, Axel Rudakopana, unexpectedly pleaded guilty to all charges on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
Mr. Rodacobana admitted to killing Baby King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, who were participating in a Taylor Swift-style dancing and bracelet-making class on July 29 during their summer break from school. And an attempt to kill 10 people, including eight children and two adults.
After the stabbings, police searched Mr. Rudakubana’s home and said they found ricin, a deadly poison, and a PDF titled “Military Studies in Jihad Against Tyrants: Al-Qaeda Training Manual.” It was Mr. Rudakupana He was later charged Producing a biological toxin and “possessing information of a kind that is likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing a terrorist act.”
The government later confirmed that Mr Rudakupana was Referred to He had enrolled in the official counter-terrorism programme, Prevent, at least three times before the attack in Southport, when he was just 13 and 14, because of his obsession with violence.
Yvette Cooper, the UK Home Secretary, announced a public inquiry into the lack of action on the warnings, saying that families and residents of Southport “need answers about what happened before this attack”.
She said in a statement that Mr Rudakupana had been in contact with the police, courts, social services and mental health services, but “those agencies failed to identify the dire risks and danger he posed to others”.
Information regarding his previous referrals to the authorities prior to Mr. Rudakupana’s conviction could not be published, to avoid jeopardizing the legal process. Strict rules govern the release of information during active court proceedings in Britain in order to ensure the right to a fair trial.
“But now that guilt has been admitted, it is vital that the families and the people of Southport get answers about how this horrific attack happened and why this happened to their children,” Ms Cooper said.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday afternoon that there were “serious questions that need to be answered about how the state failed in its ultimate duty to protect these young girls”.
Britain will demand right answers. “We will leave no stone unturned in this endeavor,” he said. statement. “At the heart of this horrific event, the family and community continue to grieve; A pain that not even justice can truly heal.
On Monday, Mr Rudakopana, who initially pleaded not guilty, appeared in court, sitting at the back of the room in the dock and wearing a gray tracksuit. He has repeatedly refused court requests to identify himself or speak at a volume where the judge can hear him.
Mr Rudakupana, whose mouth was covered with a surgical mask, uttered the word “guilty” as each charge in the indictment against him was read, the BBC reported.
His lawyer, Stanley Reese, confirmed that the defendant understood the procedures and that he pleaded guilty to all charges against him. His guilty plea came as the court prepared to hear days of evidence about the horrific attack.
Now, the case will quickly move to the sentencing phase, according to the presiding judge, Julian Goss, who ordered Mr Rudakopana’s sentencing on Thursday.
“You will understand that it is inevitable that the sentence imposed on you will mean life imprisonment,” he told Mr Rudakopana after pleading guilty.
Judge Goss apologized to the families of the victims, none of whom were in court on Monday. Preliminary evidence in the trial was not expected to be heard until later in the week. He added that the families will be in the courtroom on Thursday.
Ursula Doyle, deputy district attorney for the Mersey-Cheshire district, said in a statement that the “unspeakable attack” had “left a lasting mark on our community and the nation with its brutality and senselessness.”
“This was clearly a young man with a sickening and persistent interest in death and violence,” she said, adding that Mr Rudakupana had shown no sign of remorse. “The prosecution was determined to prove their guilt, and I am extremely grateful that today’s confession has spared the families at the heart of this case the pain of having to live their ordeal through trial.”
The authorities did not declare the stabbing attack a terrorist act. Serena Kennedy, Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, who oversees policing in the area, said in a statement statement In October, “For something to be declared a terrorist incident, a motive must be determined.” “We strongly advise caution against anyone speculating on the motive in this case,” she said.
Mr Rudakubana was born in Cardiff, Wales, to parents who were originally from Rwanda. He was living in the village of Banks, north of Southport, at the time of the attack.
After the Southport attack, Britain was rocked by a series of riots, as misinformation about the identity of the attacker spread on social media and messaging apps. False claims that the suspect was an illegal immigrant or newly arrived asylum seeker were amplified by anti-immigration activists and members of the far right.
It later emerged that several people, including a neo-Nazi, helped coordinate the outbreak of violence, which included attacks on mosques and hotels where asylum seekers were staying, and which resulted in dozens of police officers being injured.
Mr Rudakupana was 17 at the time of the attack and, under English court rules, would normally have maintained anonymity until he was 18. But just days after the attack, the judge took the unusual step of revealing his name in the case trying to combat the spread of misinformation.
It was hundreds of people Charged For their involvement in the violent unrest that took place in the country last summer, dozens of people were sentenced to prison.
Stephen’s Castle Contributed to reports.