The identity of a 17-year-old Welsh teenager, Axel Rudakubana, accused of a fatal stabbing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, was revealed publicly for the first time last Thursday. Rudakubana, a UK-born citizen of Rwandan descent, was arraigned in Liverpool Magistrates’ Court, facing charges for the murders of three young girls, Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9. Additionally, he is charged with ten counts of attempted murder for allegedly attacking eight other children and two adults who tried to intervene during the tragic incident in Southport.
Judge Andrew Menary made the decision to disclose the teenager’s identity, despite him being underage, as he will turn 18 next week. The decision was also influenced by the misinformation and unrest caused by the wrongful identification of another individual as the suspect, which led to widespread anger towards immigrants, despite the actual suspect being UK-born. Menary expressed concern that withholding the suspect’s identity would allow the spread of further misinformation.
The motive behind the gruesome crime remains undisclosed by the police. However, it was revealed that the alleged murder weapon was a kitchen knife with a curved blade. Rudakubana, dressed in a gray tracksuit, briefly smiled at reporters during his initial court appearance. He remained silent throughout the proceedings, and neither his parents nor the victims’ family members were present in court.
The accused is believed to have taken a taxi to Hart Space, a dance school in Southport, early Monday morning. There, he allegedly attacked children and other attendees at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga workshop. Two of the young victims died at the scene, while the third succumbed to her injuries at the hospital on Tuesday. The two injured adults, Leanne Lucas, 35, who was leading the dance class, and John Hayes, who worked nearby and rushed to help upon hearing screams, remain hospitalized.
Surveillance footage released by the police showed the suspect wandering a residential area, about 15 minutes away from the dance studio, wearing a face mask and a green hoodie shortly before the attack. The police believe Rudakubana acted alone and have stated that the attack is not thought to be terror-related.
The incident sparked violent protests, with far-right demonstrators clashing with police near the scene of the stabbing. The protesters, fueled by online speculation, staged a rally near a mosque, resulting in injuries to more than 20 police officers. Despite the police’s repeated clarifications that the teen identified online was not the suspect, the violent crowd targeted Muslims and immigrants, causing significant damage.
The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, condemned the protests as “thuggery” and expressed his disappointment that the crowd had interrupted a peaceful vigil held to mourn the victims and support the survivors. The attack coincided with Taylor Swift’s successful German leg of her Eras Tour. The pop star expressed her shock and condolences to the victims’ families on her Instagram Stories. A JustGiving page started by her fans has raised over $425,000 for the victims and their families within just a few days of the stabbing.