Axel Rudakubana, the 19-year-old who murdered three girls in a dance class attack in Southport, has been transferred from Belmarsh prison to Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital, prompting accusations from victims' families that he is trying to manipulate the system.
Rudakubana was jailed for life in January last year with a minimum sentence of 52 years for the murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine. The attack occurred at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on 29 July 2024.
Transfer to Broadmoor
The Guardian revealed on Thursday that Rudakubana was moved from the category A prison Belmarsh to Broadmoor after it was concluded he could not be safely managed in prison. The transfer does not alter his 52-year sentence.
Chris Walker, of law firm Bond Turner, 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.”
He added: “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.”
Prison officers' accusations
Mark Fairhurst, chair of the Prison Officers' Association, said in a statement: “This vile offender has played the system and will now enjoy the freedoms that are afforded mentally unwell patients in secure psychiatric hospitals, including benefits that law-abiding taxpayers will fund.
“My members will be placed at risk without the protections afforded to staff in prisons because he is now classed as a patient. He should spend his entire sentence in a prison in solitary confinement.”
He added: “My thoughts are with the families of the victims and all those affected by his heinous crimes.”
Background of the attacker
Rudakubana, from Banks, Lancashire, attacked eight other children, the class instructor Leanne Lucas, and businessman John Hayes, who tried to disarm him. He was also found guilty of producing the biological toxin ricin and possessing an al-Qaida training manual.
Alder Hey children's NHS foundation trust confirmed Rudakubana had been under its care as a mental health patient between 2019 and 2023, when he stopped engaging. He was referred after taking a knife to school and later saying he had done so “to use it”. He was also referred three times to the Prevent counter-extremism programme, but none were progressed due to his lack of clear ideology.
Broadmoor conditions and legal response
Broadmoor, in Crowthorne, Berkshire, is England's oldest high-security psychiatric hospital, holding notorious murderers including Peter Sutcliffe. Patients remain locked up with strict security, including locked wards, 24-hour CCTV, and mandatory therapeutic programmes. If offenders no longer require treatment, the 1983 Mental Health Act provides for a swift return to prison.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: “People moved from prison to a hospital setting are not entitled to claim benefits.” They added: “This government is going further by taking away benefit claims from convicted killers and other serious offenders who are sentenced to hospital instead of prison.”
Nicola Ryan-Donnelly of Fletchers solicitors, representing most of the surviving victims, said: “At this time, we remain focused on supporting our families through the two-year anniversary of this horrific attack. We do not want to be drawn in to giving notoriety to the person who committed this atrocity at such a difficult time for the surviving children and their families.”
She added: “The focus of public outrage should not be on moves that this perpetrator has made, it should be examining how we are two years on from this attack and some of these girls are still not receiving the proper psychological care and support that they should be to recover from this.”
