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  • Keir Starmer Orders Inquiry Into Attack In Southport

Keir Starmer Orders Inquiry Into Attack In Southport

Keir Starmer has ordered a public inquiry into the tragic Southport attack, focusing on failures by authorities that allowed a violent teenager to murder three young girls.

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Keir Starmer Orders Inquiry Into Attack In Southport

NHS, Keir Starmer, UK National Health Service, Darzi report,


On January 22, 2025, Labour leader Keir Starmer announced the initiation of a public inquiry into the tragic Southport attack, which saw 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana brutally murder three young girls in one of the worst child attacks in the UK in recent history. The inquiry will seek to uncover how Rudakubana, who had a history of violent behavior, was able to carry out the atrocity despite multiple referrals to the government’s anti-radicalisation program, Prevent.

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Rudakubana, who pleaded guilty to the murders of Bebe King, six, Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, admitted to trying to kill ten other children and two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club last summer. His attacks shocked the nation and led to serious questions about the failures of various agencies that had encountered him during his teenage years. These agencies included Prevent, the police, social services, and the youth justice system, all of which had missed signs of the growing danger Rudakubana posed.

The inquiry comes after revelations that Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent three times between 2019 and 2021, yet none of these interventions prevented the attack. Further investigation into Rudakubana’s violent tendencies and obsession with mass murder will also form a key part of the inquiry. Authorities had been aware of his obsession with genocides and his violent behavior, yet there was no coordinated effort to prevent the tragedy.

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The inquiry will explore whether these agencies failed to act in time and if there were systemic shortcomings that allowed a teenager with such a violent history to slip through the cracks. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, while calling for answers, confirmed that Rudakubana had been in contact with multiple agencies before the attack. “The families of the victims need answers,” Cooper said, emphasizing that the full scope of Rudakubana’s interactions with the system should be examined.

The public inquiry will also look into how Rudakubana’s connections to his father’s involvement in the Rwanda genocide might have shaped his views and whether these ties were adequately considered by authorities. His father, Alphonse Rudakubana, a former fighter in the Rwandan Patriotic Army, has been linked to the atrocities of the 1994 genocide. This complex background, along with Rudakubana’s violent tendencies, raises critical questions about the role of family history in shaping the trajectory of such extreme behavior.

As the nation grapples with the aftermath of the attack, attention now turns to ensuring such a tragedy never occurs again. Keir Starmer’s call for a public inquiry aims to hold those in charge accountable and make necessary changes to the systems designed to protect the public. Public scrutiny of the Prevent program and other agencies involved in the case is expected to intensify as the inquiry unfolds.

The inquiry promises to uncover the truth behind the attack and provide crucial insights into how to prevent such a tragedy from happening in the future. The families of the victims, and indeed the entire nation, are waiting for the answers that will hopefully lead to justice and necessary reforms.


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