Serial killer who stabbed children in England gets life sentence

(CLO) A British man has been sentenced to life in prison after killing three young girls in a horrific knife attack at a dance class in Southport.

The victims' families were left in tears as the judge described the "extreme violence" the children had endured.

Murderer Axel Rudakubana (left) murdered three girls. Photo: X

Axel Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced to 13 life terms for three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. Judge Julian Goose said the defendant would likely “never be released”, with a minimum sentence of 52 years in prison.

He claimed that Rudakubana intended to “kill as many innocent girls as possible” during his 15-minute rampage. Had he not been stopped, he could have killed all 26 children present in the classroom.

According to the indictment, in July 2024, Rudakubana stormed into a Taylor Swift-themed dance class where girls were making bracelets and listening to music. He suddenly pulled out a 20-centimeter knife and began stabbing wildly. Screams rang out after only 30 seconds, and many children panicked and fled the building.

The three girls murdered were Bebe King (6 years old), Elsie Dot Stancombe (7 years old) and Alice da Silva Aguiar (9 years old). According to the forensic results, Bebe was stabbed 122 times, while another girl suffered 85 stab wounds.

After being arrested, Rudakubana coldly said: "I'm glad they're dead." Examining his personal devices, police discovered a series of horrifying images of torture and execution victims and documents related to terrorist organizations.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his condolences to the victims' families, calling it "one of the most terrible tragedies in British history".

Dance teacher Heidi Liddle, who was at the scene, said she pushed the girls out of the room as the attacker entered. However, some of the girls were not able to escape and were stabbed as they tried to escape.

A 14-year-old girl who survived recalled: "I remember his eyes the most. He didn't look human, but like he was possessed by a demon."

Following the case, there was widespread outrage across Britain. Many people called for a review of the sentence, believing that 52 years in prison was too light.

Misinformation spread on social media claiming that Rudakubana was a Muslim refugee led to xenophobic riots in more than a dozen cities in England and Northern Ireland. However, he was actually a British citizen, born in Cardiff to a family of Rwandan descent.

Rudakubana's parents are currently in hiding due to threats from the public. The British government has announced that it will hold a public inquiry to clarify the failures of the police, courts and social welfare agencies in identifying the risk from the perpetrator.

Despite possessing numerous terrorism-related documents, Rudakubana was not prosecuted for terrorism, and the incident was not considered an act of organized terrorism.

Cao Phong (according to The Times, The Guardian, SKY)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ke-sat-nhan-dam-dao-hang-loat-tre-em-tai-anh-linh-an-chung-than-post331785.html