A lawyer for the families of the children murdered by Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has said his transfer from prison to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital is another attempt by him to 'manipulate the system'.
Rudakubana's sentence and crimes
Rudakubana, now 19, was given a life sentence for the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults. Next Wednesday marks two years since he carried out the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 2024.
Ministry of Justice confirms transfer
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed officials approved the transfer to Broadmoor on behalf of ministers, but a spokesperson for the department stressed it does not alter the killer's 52-year sentence.
Families' reaction
Bond Turner's Chris Walker, who is representing the three bereaved families, said: "The three families we represent have been made aware of this development in the last 48 hours and it is safe to say that whilst this news would devastate them at any time, the fact that this has occurred as we approach the second anniversary in our view is another move by AR who would appear to be attempting, once again, to manipulate the system.
"We have been given the barest of details and whilst we are supporting the families through this we are urgently seeking a meeting with the appropriate authorities to understand the situation before commenting further."
