Lancashire-led review to begin into Southport killer Axel Rudakubana

Within hours of the now 18-year-old pleading guilty on Monday to the murders of three young girls in the town last summer, it was announced that a child safeguarding practice review (CSPR) was to take place.

A trio of experts will examine the roles of the raft of services that dealt with Rudakubana in the years before he went on the rampage in July, killing Bebe King, who was six, Alice da Silva Aguiar, aged nine, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe.

A lead reviewer has already been appointed and set-up meetings held ahead of the work – commissioned by the Lancashire Children’s Safeguarding Assurance Partnership – commencing in February.

The partnership – made up of Lancashire County Council, Lancashire Constabulary and the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board – exists to improve how agencies work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.  It requests CSPRs in an attempt to learn from incidents in which children have been harmed and to reduce the risk of similar cases happening in future.

Twenty-four hours after Rudakanana’s guilty pleas – of which there were 16 in total, including to 10 attempted murders – Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced an independent public inquiry would also be held into the atrocity.

While no timetable has yet been announced for the start of that process, the LDRS understands the county council is liaising with the government over how – and whether – the national inquiry could affect the local review.

The LDRS approached the Home Office to ask whether it intended to make any stipulations about the timing of the review in relation to the public inquiry.  It is not known how long either process will last.

Rudakubana – who was sentenced on Thursday to a minimum of 52 years in prison – lived with his family in the West Lancashire village of Banks.

He had been involved with agencies as far back as 2019, including with Lancashire Police, after taking a knife into school in October that year and following the assault of a pupil with a hockey stick three months later.

The force had contact with him on multiple occasions through until May 2022 – and responded to five calls from Rudakubana’s home address relating to concerns about his behaviour.  On each occasion, officers made ‘vulnerable child referrals’ to the local multi-agency safeguarding hub.

It is now known local authority children’s social care undertook an initial assessment of the teen and concluded social work support was not required – but so-called ‘early help’ services were deployed in connection with Rudakubana’s behaviour and emotional wellbeing.

Education services were also liaising closely with schools to enable him to be taught in an appropriate setting after his exclusion from mainstream school.  He was also referred to the youth justice service after being convicted of the hockey stick attack and completed a referral order in 2021.

He was known to child adolescent mental health services, but had stopped engaging with them by early 2023.

Asked about the safeguarding review, a Lancashire County Council spokesperson repeated a statement issued on Wednesday, saying: “Our heartfelt condolences remain with the families of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King – and all of the other victims of this terrible crime.

“Following the conviction of Axel Rudakubana, we welcome the government’s announcement of an independent public inquiry and will fully cooperate with the process.

“In addition to the public inquiry, a wide ranging and independent child safeguarding practice review (CSPR) has been commissioned by the Lancashire Children’s Safeguarding Assurance Partnership.

“The review will look at the roles of all the agencies involved with Axel Rudakubana, their interaction with him and his family and if any learning could aid our collective safeguarding practice.

“All aspects of this case will be thoroughly examined and it is crucial that the child safeguarding practice review is not prejudged.

“The families and communities who have been devastated by the actions of this individual will remain at the forefront of our thoughts throughout this process.”