The man accused of killing three young girls at The Hart Space in Southport this summer has today been charged with two additional offences.
It follows a knife attack which saw the tragic deaths of Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven; Bebe King, aged six, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, aged nine.
The three girls were all killed as they attended a Taylor Swift themed dance and yoga class at the Hart Space in Southport on 29th July 2024. Several other girls and adults were badly injured and others left traumatised.
Axel Rudakubana, aged 18, from Banks in West Lancashire is due to appear in court this Wednesday (30th October 2024).
Merseyside Police Chief Constable Chief Constable Serena Kennedy has today, Tuesday 29 October, made the following statement in relation to the case of Axel Muganwa Rudakubana:
“Today the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Axel Rudakubana, aged 18, from Banks in Lancashire, to be charged with two further offences.
“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 29 July 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 29 July 2024.
The additional charges are:
- Production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, contrary to Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974.
- Possessing information, namely a pdf file entitled “Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual” of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
“Rudakubana will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court via video link tomorrow.
“Following the announcement of the further charges today I wanted to reassure the public of Southport, and Merseyside, that we are committed to achieving justice for the families of Bebe, Elsie and Alice, the 10 victims who were injured at the Hart Space in Southport on that Monday, in July, and the other 16 people who were present.
“We are also committed to being open and transparent with our communities. However, I am sure you will all appreciate that we need to make sure we do not prejudice any trial.
“You may have seen speculation online that the police are deciding to keep things from the public. This is certainly not the case.
“We have been given extensive guidance by the CPS in relation to what we can say publicly to ensure the integrity of the court proceedings are protected, and therefore we are restricted in what we can share with you now, whilst the proceedings are live.
“Following the events of Monday 29 July, searches of Axel Rudakubana’s home address resulted in an unknown substance being found – testing confirmed the substance was ricin.
“We have worked extensively with partners to establish that there was a low to very low risk to the public – and I want to make that reassurance clear today. I can also tell you that there was no ricin present at Hart Street.
“When the ricin was discovered, all necessary steps were taken so we could be sure that no one was at risk. This was a multi-agency response. Expert advice, and guidance was received and adhered to throughout the investigation.
“In the following days Merseyside Police worked closely with partners including: Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS); North West Ambulance Service (NWAS); Sefton Council; Lancashire Police; West Lancashire Borough Council; Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW); Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP); UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); Crown Prosecution Service (CPS); NHS England; National CBRN Centre; Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and the Ministry of Defence to identify if there was any risk to victims, local communities, or the specialist professionals in attendance at Hart Street and Old School Close.
“At this point it is particularly appropriate to recognise the support we have received from the emergency services, the local authority, and Counter Terrorism Policing. That support has included forensics experts and digital investigators. This was in place from the initial stages of the investigation and remains ongoing.
“I want to reassure our communities that we continue to work in partnership with all our partners and are absolutely committed to keeping our communities safe.
“At this time, Counter Terrorism Policing has not declared the attack on Monday 29 July a terrorist incident. I recognise that the new charges, may lead to speculation. The matter for which Axel Rudakubana has been charged with under the Terrorism Act does not require motive to be established. For a matter to be declared a terrorist incident, motivation would need to be established.
“We would strongly advise caution against anyone speculating as to motivation in this case. The criminal proceedings against Axel Rudakubana are live and he has a right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there is no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings. I want to remind everyone that a trial is scheduled for January next year.
“Since 29th July, my officers and staff have been working diligently in conjunction with colleagues from Counter- terrorism and they are continuing to assess evidential material we have recovered to ensure all the evidence is available to the CPS, and the details of the case will come out in court.
“My plea is to be patient, don’t engage in rumour and speculation and don’t believe everything you read on social media.
“We must not lose sight of the families of Elsie, Bebe, and Alice, who are still grieving, and the families of those children and adults who were injured and affected by what happened on that day.
We all need to do the right thing by them to ensure the justice process is not prejudiced.”
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