A schoolgirl who survived the July 29 attack at a Taylor Swift–themed holiday club in Southport told a public inquiry on Thursday she still asks, "Why wasn't he stopped?" as she described the "nightmare" of being stabbed by Axel Rudakubana.
The girl, identified in proceedings as Child C6 to protect her anonymity, said she was stabbed in the back and arm while shepherding younger children out of the studio. Three girls — Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9; Bebe King, 6; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7 — were killed in the rampage. Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time of the attack, later admitted murder and was sentenced in January to a minimum of 52 years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court.
Wearing a beige jumper and pausing at times to compose herself, the now-teenage witness told the inquiry in Liverpool she initially thought the intruder's actions must be a joke. She said she saw Rudakubana in a green hoodie and facemask and that "he looked possessed. He didn't look human." She described watching him stab someone and realising he would "hurt us all."
Child C6 said the attack "felt like everything slowed down" as Rudakubana advanced and all she could hear was screaming. She recounted being stabbed in the arm and back as she pushed younger children toward the door and down the stairs, saying she "just kept thinking: 'Get them out, get everyone to safety!'" After reaching the car park she feared he would continue to pursue them and "so we kept running."
Her injuries were severe enough to require emergency surgery, she told the inquiry, and she said the physical and mental effects persist: "I survived, but every day since has been difficult, physically and mentally. I still have nightmares. I see him coming towards me. I see him hurting others. I hear the screams. I see the blood. It plays like a horror film on repeat." She said the inquiry must provide "answers the criminal trial never could" and urged investigators to determine why agencies did not act sooner: "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."
Inquiry chair Sir Adrian Fulford commended the witness on her evidence, saying: "Very well and bravely done." The hearings are examining contacts Rudakubana had with several public bodies, including police, the courts, the NHS and social services, to establish whether those contacts contained information or opportunities that might have prevented the attack.
The inquiry will consider whether legal or administrative measures should be available in cases where a person is suspected of planning serious violence but has not yet committed an offence. Possible measures under review include court-imposed restrictions, curfews, electronic tagging, internet bans or limits on social media use. Sir Adrian has said it is "truly critical" that the inquiry secure answers for the victims' families and make recommendations aimed at preventing a recurrence.
The inquiry is not examining the widespread rioting and civil unrest that followed the murders. Proceedings are scheduled to hear from the parents of Alice, Bebe and Elsie in coming days as the investigation continues to gather testimony and documentary evidence about how and why the attack unfolded and whether any interventions were missed.