Two Youths Held Over Alleged Southport Killer Copycat Plots
British authorities have disclosed the arrests of two teenagers accused of planning copycat attacks inspired by Axel Rudakubana, who is serving a minimum 52-year sentence for murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last year.
The First Case: A 17-Year-Old's Alleged Plans
In the first instance, a 17-year-old from Cwmbran, South Wales, discussed emulating Rudakubana and conducted extensive research into obtaining large knives. Police discovered a deeply concerning note on his phone titled 'places to attack', which included images of a dance school located near his home. Investigators confirmed that location data placed him in close proximity to the school just days before his arrest in June.
The teenager's research extended to other potential targets, including his own school. Prosecutors revealed he used Snapchat to communicate plans for an attack on the first Oasis reunion concert scheduled for July 4 in Cardiff. He has pleaded guilty to possession of a document useful for terrorism and awaits sentencing in January. The court has ordered psychiatric reports, noting concerns that he has autism, a condition also shared by Rudakubana.
The Second Case: Merseyside Teen's Alleged Preparations
In a separate but disturbingly similar case, a 16-year-old boy from Merseyside allegedly planned an attack on another Taylor Swift-themed event. Prosecutors claim he intended to wear a hoodie in the same manner as Rudakubana during the assault. The youth reportedly visited Southport, collected knives, and downloaded the same Al Qaeda manual used by Rudakubana to produce the poison ricin.
His activities also included researching high school shootings, and he allegedly considered targeting his former school. Arrested in August, he faces charges of possession of documents useful for terrorism and making threats to kill. He is scheduled to enter pleas next month. Due to their ages, neither teenager can be publicly named.
Broader Concerns and Prevent Programme Revelations
These cases emerge against a backdrop of significant challenges for the government's Prevent de-radicalisation programme. Referrals to Prevent classified as having 'no ideology' have soared over the past year, now constituting more than half of all cases. Despite this increase, only 7% of these referrals were offered direct intervention.
This statistic carries particular weight given that Rudakubana himself was turned down by Prevent on three separate occasions before his deadly attack. The 17-year-old murdered Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, while injuring ten others. The first phase of an independent inquiry into the killings concluded recently, having examined multiple missed opportunities that could have prevented the tragedy.
