The Ministry of Justice has issued an apology to the victims and witnesses of the Southport stabbing attack following a data breach involving government-employed staff.
The breach, which occurred in 2024, saw staff at HM Courts and Tribunals inappropriately access victim, survivor, and witness records. The ministry confirmed that some of the accessed information was sensitive and personal data.
Lord Chancellor Alex Norris has initiated an urgent investigation into the incident, which could lead to the reopening of disciplinary processes against those involved. The Ministry of Justice stated they were "appalled" by the breach and acknowledged the distress it has caused.
"Unauthorised access to court files is completely unacceptable," a Ministry of Justice spokesman said. "This is now being investigated urgently, and the Prime Minister has asked the Lord Chancellor to oversee this. All wrongdoing will be met with extremely firm action."
In July 2024, Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls—Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice DaSilva Aguiar—in a stabbing spree at a dance class in Southport. Rudakubana was later jailed for a minimum of 52 years for these murders and the attempted murders of eight other children, as well as instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
This is the second data breach to affect those connected to the Southport attack this year. In May, it was revealed that 48 NHS staff had inappropriately accessed the medical records of victims. Leanne Lucas described herself as "devastated and horrified" by the earlier breach, stating that staff not involved in her care had abused their position of trust.
Victims of the 2024 breach were only recently informed of the incident, while the Prime Minister was notified last month. Sky News reported that disciplinary proceedings against the staff involved had concluded in April of this year, prior to the victims being made aware of the breach.
