Killer's family 'knew the risk that he posed'

THE three families of the murdered Southport girls have questioned why the killer's family allowed him to possess weapons, adding: “When does a parent become complicit in a crime committed by their child?”

- BY PATRICK EDRICH

The families of the three murdered girls and the children who were injured or witnessed the attack have demanded answers as to how Axel Rudakubana was able to carry out his mass attack, criticising the role of safeguarding services and questioning his own parents.

“Cowardly” Rudakubana was just 17 when he carried out the mass stabbing attack at the Taylor Swift-themed class at the Hart Space in Southport on July 29 last year. Armed with a knife bought on Amazon and “specifically targeting women and girls’ Rudakubana burst in while the children were making bracelets and began his attack.

Rudakubana, who is only being referred to in inquiry proceedings as AR, murdered Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, in the horrific incident.

He also badly injured eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as well as teacher and party organiser Leanne Lucas and local businessman John Hayes.

Senior lawyers representing the interests of everyone affected by the mass stabbing told the Southport Inquiry that warning signs in the preceding days, months and years had been missed and the killer's history of disturbing and violent behaviour not addressed.