A schoolgirl who survived the July 2024 Southport attack told a public inquiry on Thursday she still relives the screams from the day three children were murdered and demanded to know why the attacker was not stopped sooner.
The witness, referred to in the hearings as Child C6 to protect her anonymity, described how what began as a drop-off at a Taylor Swift–themed dance class “felt like it was going to be a perfect day” before it "turned into a living nightmare." She gave evidence in Liverpool about being stabbed as she tried to shepherd younger girls out of the studio, and said she will "never forget the fear, the panic or the way I felt wondering if we were going to survive."
Child C6, now a teenager, said she saw the attacker, 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, in a green hoodie and facemask and that when she looked into his eyes “he looked possessed.” She told the inquiry she saw him stab another child and then was attacked, receiving wounds to her arm and back that required emergency surgery.
"At first I thought it must be some sort of joke, like this couldn't actually be happening," she said. "I saw him stab someone in front of me and realised that he was going to hurt us all." She said the experience plays “like a horror film on repeat” and that she still has nightmares and ongoing physical and mental difficulties.
Rudakubana later admitted murder and was jailed in January at Liverpool Crown Court to serve a minimum of 52 years. The attack on July 29, 2024, at a holiday club in the Merseyside town killed Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
The inquiry, chaired by Sir Adrian Fulford, is examining how multiple agencies — including the police, the courts, the NHS and social services — who had contact with Rudakubana did not identify the risk he posed or prevent the attack. Child C6 told the panel she was giving evidence so the voices of victims and survivors would be heard and that "this is something I shouldn't have to do, because this should never have happened." After she finished her evidence Sir Adrian said: "Very well and bravely done."
Inquiry hearings will probe whether the assault could have been prevented and whether different powers or measures should be available to manage individuals suspected of planning serious violent offences. Considerations include whether courts should be able to impose restrictions, including curfews, electronic tagging, internet bans or social media restrictions, on people believed to present a serious danger even if they have not yet committed a criminal offence.
The inquiry will also assess the flow of information between agencies and whether communication failures contributed to the missed opportunities to intervene. Sir Adrian has said it is "truly critical" that the inquiry secures answers for the families of the victims and makes recommendations to prevent similar incidents in future.
The hearings will not examine the rioting and civil unrest that followed the murders; those events are being treated separately. The inquiry is due to hear evidence from the parents of the three children in upcoming sessions as it continues its investigation into the lead-up to and response to the attack.
Survivors, families and legal representatives have said the inquiry must establish a clear timeline of contacts and decisions by public bodies that might have identified Rudakubana as a danger. Child C6 asked the panel directly: "Why wasn't he stopped? There were multiple occasions where this could've been prevented. Why did the agencies involved not speak to each other? How many others are out there like him? This can't happen again." The inquiry's findings are expected to inform recommendations on how to detect and manage similar threats in the future.