Counter-terror investigations into Southport killer 'prematurely closed'
The Security Minister's told MPs that Prevent didn't fully explore the risk Axel Rudakubana posed
Last updated 5th Feb 2025
A review into the government's counter terror program's found Southport killer Axel Rudakubana had researched school shootings, the Manchester Arena bombing and other atrocities - in the years before he killed three young girls.
The teenager is serving a minimum term of 52 years behind bars for an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024.
He killed three girls - Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiar - and attempted to murder ten others.
Today, a report has confirmed how authorities missed multiple warning signs showing how dangerous he was - with counter-terror investigations into Rudakubana 'prematurely closed', despite concerns about his interest in violence.
He was referred to Prevent on three separate occasions between December 2019 when he was aged 13 and April 2021 when he was 14 - all referrals were made by his schools.
Home Office Minister Dan Jarvis said:
"The review concluded that too much focus was placed on the absence of a distinct ideology, to the detriment of considering the perpetrator's susceptibility, grievances and complex needs.
"There was an under-exploration of the significance of his repeat referrals, and the cumulative risk, including his history of violence."
"The overall conclusion of the review is that he should have been case managed through the channel multi-agency process, rather than closed to Prevent. This would have enabled to co-ordinated multi-agency risk management and support."
14 recommendations have been made for improvements in the Prevent learning review that focused on Rudakubana - and Mr Jarvis has said all have been accepted by the government.
He added that counter-terror police have visited all Prevent areas across the country to see if there are outstanding issues identified in the report.
Mr Jarvis added:
"(The review will) ensure Prevent can deal with the full range of threats we see today, from Islamist extremism, which is the most significant terrorist threat that the UK faces, through to the fascination with mass violence that we saw in the Southport case."
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Matt Jukes said:
"Elsie, Alice and Bebe, and all of those devastated by the tragic events in Southport in July, remain in our thoughts. This drives our determination to get the answers that all of those affected by what happened need and deserve.
"Immediately after the attack, Counter Terrorism Policing and the Home Office jointly commissioned a review to understand how referrals of Axel Rudakubana into the Prevent system were handled.
"Ahead of the public inquiry that will look at the role of the public authorities involved in the case, we have taken the unprecedented step of publishing the review.
"It describes decisions made in line with policy in place at the time, in a system that was not equipped to deal with emerging risks that were very different to those it had been built to address.
"In this case, there were at least 15 contact points with public services – health, education and social care systems, and the police.
"We want to see a system where every one of those contacts counts, and where the sum total of all of them taken together is seen as the red flag that it should be.
"Prevent referrals when Rudakubana was 13 and 14-years-old did not prove to be that turning point, and nor did later contact with other services.
"We have made changes to how multiple Prevent referrals are dealt with since 2021, but we take nothing for granted and must ensure we are always looking for further improvements to protect people from harm.
"We want to ensure that the right information is being gathered when cases are assessed, and that they are managed in the right place.
"Every day, officers are making difficult decisions to prioritise some cases for counter-radicalisation interventions, and to connect the majority of the remainder to support from other services to address their needs.
"Around the world, we are seeing growing numbers of young people drawn not only to terrorism but also into extreme violence online of all forms, and contending with mental health and social challenges.
"As others have recognised, as well as ensuring Prevent plays its part, new interventions for young people fixated on violence rather than terrorist ideology are needed, and their cases should have a clear home. They should not be passed from organisation to organisation.
"We will be working with the public inquiry and the new Prevent Commissioner Lord Anderson to ensure that internal reviews like this can form part of comprehensive reports for the public that are independently verified and help to identify where systems can be strengthened and adapted to keep pace with changing risks and challenges.
"We owe it to Elsie, Alice and Bebe, and their families, to ensure that systems designed to keep the public safe from harm do exactly that."
More to follow.