Mother's Agony: Son Radicalised Online at 14, Fear Stopped Police Report
A new report into the Southport tragedy reveals that the killer's parents bear considerable blame for the horrific events, sparking urgent conversations about parental responsibility in preventing radicalisation. Radhika Sanghani hears from a mother, Sarah, about her agonising experience of realising her teenage son had been radicalised on the internet, a story that underscores the critical need for awareness and intervention.
Southport Attack Could Have Been Prevented, Inquiry Finds
Axel Rudakubana was 17 when he murdered three young girls in Southport back in July 2024. The horrific attack followed years of Rudakubana consuming extreme and violent content online without any supervision. The Southport Inquiry report now suggests the tragedy could have been prevented if his parents had shared all their concerns with authorities, highlighting numerous missed opportunities for intervention from agencies, including the decision to reject him from the anti-terror and deradicalisation programme Prevent.
His mother told the hearing: "There are many things that Alphonse and I wish we had done differently, anything that might have prevented the horrific event of July 29 2024. (For) our failure, we are profoundly sorry." This admission has ignited debates on what parents should do if they notice signs of their children being radicalised online.
A Mother's Painful Struggle with Her Son's Radicalisation
Sarah's son, John, was radicalised online when he was just shy of his 15th birthday, but she had no initial idea. It began when a friend showed him a meme on his phone depicting soldiers living on the streets because immigrants had taken all the houses. John blindly believed it, and due to a family member with mental health issues after military service, it felt personal and infuriated him.
He was invited to join a far-right forum by a friend, and from there, his consumption of propaganda quickly spread across more platforms. Sarah noticed changes in his behaviour: John, once a happy-go-lucky, kind boy, became argumentative, disrespectful, and started using derogatory language towards her. Looking back, she recognises these as warning signs, but at the time, she was merely confused.
His school performance deteriorated, with slipping grades, backchat to teachers, and disruptive behaviour. Despite concerns from others dismissing it as a teenage phase, the situation worsened over 18 months. Their relationship fell apart, and John's verbal abuse extended to family and friends, who began to see him as a problem. Sarah mistakenly thought he was safe because he stayed home on his computer, unaware he was consuming far-right, extremist content.
At school, warnings focused on sexual exploitation, bullying, gangs, alcohol, and knife crime, but radicalisation was never discussed. Sarah only knew about it from news reports, never imagining it could happen in her own family.
The Shocking Discovery and Fear of Intervention
John was 17 when Sarah discovered his activities. He confessed after attending a demonstration where police picked him up, sharing details only because he was underage and feared they would contact his parents. Weeks later, when he wanted to attend another event, Sarah and her partner offered him a lift to uncover the truth.
At the demonstration, she saw her inclusive son marching and singing racist slurs, a soul-destroying shock that made everything clear. On the way home, John was proud of his actions, and when Sarah tried to discuss it, he argued fiercely, leading to a rapid escalation in his public expression of extremist views on social media.
Sarah considered going to the police but feared it might worsen the situation, potentially causing John to leave home or become more radicalised. She also hesitated to involve his teachers, worried about expulsion ending his education. Paralyzed by fear of making the wrong move, she did nothing until a teacher intervened after witnessing John's views.
Path to Recovery Through Prevent and Support
The teacher's call was a turning point. Sarah validated her concerns, leading to John being referred to Prevent, the UK's government-led programme to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. He was assigned an intervention provider, a specialist support worker for deradicalisation.
Initially, John only agreed to meet to feed information back to his far-right groups, but he connected with the provider. A key moment came when John shared his misinterpretation of Quran passages; the worker suggested using a translator, revealing he had been misinformed. This planted doubt, prompting further research with his support worker.
Within five weeks, John deleted his social media platforms and disengaged from online groups. Recovery took longer, involving rebuilding lost relationships and weekly to monthly check-ins for ongoing support. Now in his late twenties, John has transformed, using his experience to educate others through the charity Small Steps, which focuses on radicalisation dangers.
Sarah, inspired by his journey, now works for Exit Hate, a charity supporting individuals leaving extremism and their families. She aims to ensure no family feels as isolated as she did, emphasising that it is never too late to seek help.
If you are worried about someone at risk of radicalisation and need advice, call Act Early on 0800 011 3764 or visit Exit Hate for more information.
