The families of three girls killed in the Southport knife attack said they want a public inquiry to “leave no stone unturned” as the first phase resumes to examine the attacker’s history and contact with agencies.
Alice Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were murdered during a Taylor Swift–themed dance class on July 29, 2024. Axel Rudakubana, 18, was later given a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years for their murders.
The inquiry’s first phase is due to resume at Liverpool Town Hall and will scrutinise Rudakubana’s background, his dealings with relevant agencies and any missed opportunities to prevent the attack, organisers said. The review will consider his interactions with the criminal justice system, education, social and health services and his family environment.
Christopher Walker, solicitor for the three bereaved families, said they hoped the inquiry would establish “how and why” the attack happened and drive change. “As both the chair and the prime minister have said, Southport must be a line in the sand, and this inquiry must lead to change,” he added. “We already know that the attack was preventable. What is important to establish now is how and why.”
Survivors’ families, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are expected to give impact statements. Other people due to speak include yoga instructor Leanne Lucas, dance teacher Heidi Liddle and businessman Jonathan Hayes, who was stabbed after coming out of his office after hearing the attack.
The inquiry is also set to hear details of previous incidents in which Rudakubana was found with a knife and of three referrals made to the government’s counter-terror programme Prevent. Officials have said the hearing will examine whether those referrals and other contacts should have led to different interventions.
A second phase of the inquiry is expected to consider broader questions about the risks posed by young people with fixations on extreme violence and how such risks should be managed to prevent further tragedies.
The attack prompted widespread public shock and mourning in Southport and beyond, with hundreds attending a vigil outside the town hall where bubbles were blown into the air in memory of the victims. The inquiry chair and government ministers have said findings should lead to policy and practice changes where failings are identified.
The inquiry is part of a statutory process to establish facts, make findings and, where appropriate, recommend changes to procedures and safeguards. Its hearings aim to assemble evidence from law enforcement, health and education providers, and other agencies that had contact with Rudakubana prior to the killings.
Families and campaigners have urged the inquiry to be thorough and transparent. Walker said the bereaved families were committed to seeking reforms so “no other families will have to again” face similar loss. The inquiry’s timetable for concluding its first phase has not been finalised publicly, and the scope of any further recommendations will depend on evidence presented during the hearings.