The Southport murders highlight a disturbing trend of violent attacks targeting vulnerable groups
Southport: Last summer, a tragic event unfolded when three young girls were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop. Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died on the spot, while nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar passed away in the hospital the next day.
When the police arrived, they found 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana still holding the kitchen knife he had ordered online. This incident sparked a wave of misinformation about the killer’s identity, leading to racially charged riots across the country.
Rudakubana was set to go on trial this week after pleading not guilty. However, he changed his plea to guilty for all 16 charges, including three counts of murder and possession of a knife. This means there won’t be a trial to explore his motives, which has raised concerns about missed chances to stop him before the attack.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has launched an inquiry to find out how Rudakubana became so dangerous. Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that the failures in this case are glaring and unacceptable.
A former classmate described Rudakubana as “a ticking time bomb.” He had been expelled from school in 2019 for bringing a knife, claiming he was bullied. Just days before the attack, his father stopped him from trying to return to school with a hockey stick, which had names of teachers and students written on it.
Local social services were aware of him, often asking police to attend their meetings for safety. He had been referred to the Prevent program three times, but since he didn’t show a clear ideology, they didn’t take further action. His interest in violent history and mass murderers didn’t fit current terrorism laws either.
Rudakubana also produced ricin, a biological weapon, and had a PDF file that could help someone commit terrorism. This document was easily found online and included materials from an Al-Qaeda training manual.
Details about his childhood are scarce. His parents moved to Southport from Rwanda before he was born, and they are Tutsis, a group that faced horrific violence in the 1994 genocide. Reports indicate he was particularly interested in that dark chapter of history.
Regardless of his motivations, Rudakubana targeted a group of young girls celebrating a pop star, which made the attack even more shocking. Organizations like Women’s Aid have condemned this as part of a larger trend of violence against women and girls.
Similar attacks have occurred in the past, often inspired by each other. For instance, the Toronto van attacker and the Plymouth gunman accessed material related to a previous killer who published a misogynistic manifesto.
Violence against women is on the rise, and the Southport incident has drawn attention to this issue. Last August, Home Secretary Cooper promised to include extreme misogyny in new terror laws.
Finding a single reason for Rudakubana’s actions is tough. Any psychiatrist trying to diagnose him publicly would be crossing an ethical line. What we do know is that the Southport stabbings fit into a broader pattern of violent attacks that don’t adhere to a specific ideology but rather a fascination with extreme violence.
In December 2024, UK counter-terrorism lead Vicki Evans warned that more young people are accessing extreme content online, creating a new kind of terrorist threat. She noted that search histories are filled with violence, misogyny, and other disturbing interests.
Starmer has labeled the attack a “new and dangerous threat,” but experts have been sounding the alarm for years about the risks posed by lonely, angry men who externalize their violent impulses. The Prime Minister has acknowledged the danger of extreme violence from individuals who are often inspired by traditional terrorist groups but are fixated on violence for its own sake.
It will take time to see the results of the inquiry, and there’s no clear plan yet to tackle this threat. The real question is not if another attack will happen, but when.
