October 30th 2024.
18-year-old Axel Rudakubana has been charged with a terror offence and producing the deadly poison ricin. You may remember hearing about him last August when he was accused of stabbing three girls to death during a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport. Well, he appeared in court again today and remained silent, refusing to answer any questions.
The charges against Rudakubana include possessing terrorist material and producing ricin, which was discovered in his home. The alleged terror offence is connected to a PDF file titled "Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual". In addition to the three girls who tragically lost their lives in the attack, eight other children and two adults were also seriously injured.
The three girls who were killed in the attack were Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. Rudakubana was only 17 at the time of the stabbings but has since turned 18 and has been charged with their murders as well as the attempted murders of the other 10 victims. During his first court appearance in August, Rudakubana initially smiled upon entering the courtroom but then kept his face covered with a sweatshirt for the rest of the proceedings.
The latest charges against Rudakubana came after authorities searched his home in Banks, Lancashire. Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy announced the new charges at a press conference on Tuesday. Rudakubana's defense lawyer, Stan Reiz KC, stated that his client had also remained silent during previous hearings, choosing not to answer any questions for "reasons of his own."
After the attack, searches were carried out at Rudakubana's home, though it is not clear when the ricin was discovered. The charges, authorized by the CPS on Tuesday, state that the poison was produced on or before July 29, and Rudakubana was charged with possessing the document between August 29, 2021 and July 30, 2024.
Sarah Hammond, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Mersey-Cheshire, explained, "The Crown Prosecution Service has authorized two further charges against Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 18, from Banks in Lancashire. Axel Rudakubana already faces three charges of murder, 10 charges of attempted murder, and one charge of possession of a knife - all relating to the incident at Hart Street, Southport on July 29, 2024. The two further offences relate to evidence obtained by Merseyside Police during searches of Axel Rudakubana's home address, as part of the lengthy and complex investigation that followed the events of July 29, 2024."
Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and had been living in the village of Banks, just outside Southport, at the time of the attack. The family reportedly moved to the Southport area around 2013 and lived in a semi-detached property in a quiet cul-de-sac in Banks. According to a local source, the alleged killer did not socialize with others and the family seemed unremarkable, showing no signs of any trouble.
A spokesperson for 10 Downing Street shared that Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition party, continues to keep the families of the Southport attack victims in his thoughts. The government's focus remains on ensuring that the families and all those affected receive justice, with the prime minister's thoughts firmly with them. The spokesperson also clarified that charging decisions are made by the Crown Prosecution Service, and the trial will ultimately determine the facts of the case.
A provisional trial date has been set for Rudakubana in January of next year.
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