The Southport Inquiry continued today at Liverpool Town Hall, hearing emotional evidence from victims and families of the July 29, 2024 attack. Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty to murdering Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop.
Sir Adrian Fulford, chair of the inquiry, described the attack as 'one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history.' The inquiry, announced by the government earlier this year, will examine failures leading up to the tragedy and what could have been done to prevent the murders.
During today's hearing, a mother gave harrowing testimony about her daughter's survival. She described how her daughter, after being attacked upstairs, fell down stairs, pulled herself up, and yelled for another girl to follow. She sustained five or six stab wounds initially, mainly to her arms and shoulders from defending herself.
The mother recounted how her daughter escaped the building briefly, only to be grabbed by the attacker and subjected to another attack of more than twenty stab wounds to her back and shoulders. She eventually fell outside and was carried to safety. The mother noted that no adults were present to help her daughter during the attacks; she was supported only by other children.
The inquiry will resume on September 8 for further commemorative and impact evidence, with evidential hearings beginning on September 22. Sir Adrian stated the inquiry will endeavour to find out what went wrong in the lead-up to the attack.
