Southport families ‘looking for light in darkness’ as they speak of heartbreak for first time after stabbings

THE FAMILIES of little girls killed in the Southport attack have spoken about their heartbreak for the first time. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were stabbed to death by evil Axel Rudakubana, 18, on July 29. The little girls had been attending a Taylor Swift-inspired dance class when the horror attack took place. The killer - who also attempted to murder eight other children at random - was jailed for life with a minimum of 52 years last month.

The families of Bebe and Elsie have today spoken out for the first time. The two-hour event where the girls lost their lives had been organised by instructors Leanne Lucas and Heidi Liddle at The Hart Space. Just three miles away, Rudakubana had armed himself with a 20cm knife as he prepared to put his murderous plan into action. Chilling footage showed the killer pacing outside his home before being picked up in a taxi.

Just 30 minutes later, Rudakubana arrived at the community centre as the children sang Taylor Swift songs and made friendship bracelets. Leanne opened a window due to the summer heat and saw the masked teen outside but thought nothing of it. But seconds later, the door opened and Rudakubana stormed into the class and began attacking children and adults at random. Screams rang out as the killer teen systematically made his way through the room stabbing his victims with the black-handled Cerbera kitchen knife.

AXEL Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, and 10 counts of attempted murder. Here is a timeline of events relating to the case:. 2002: Rudakubana's father Alphonse moves to the UK from Rwanda, according to an interview he gave to his local newspaper in Southport in 2015. August 7, 2006: Rudakubana is born in Cardiff, Wales. 2013: The family - including Rudakubana's father, mother and older brother - move from Wales to Banks in Lancashire, a few miles from Southport.

July 29, 2024: Shortly before midday, a knifeman enters a dance class at The Hart Space in Hart Street in Southport. Bebe, Elsie and Alice are fatally wounded. Eight other children are injured, as are instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes. Police say they have detained a male and seized a knife. Within hours, claims spread online that the suspect is an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK by boat in 2023.

Some claims include an alleged identity. July 30, 2024: In the evening, a peaceful vigil is held outside Southport's Atkinson arts venue, where flowers are laid in memory of those who died. Shortly after the vigil, a separate protest begins outside the town's mosque in St Luke's Road. People throw items towards the mosque, property is damaged and police vehicles are set on fire. July 31, 2024: Demonstrators gather in Whitehall, London, for an "Enough Is Enough" protest.

Flares and cans are thrown at police and more than 100 people are arrested. Disorder also breaks out in Hartlepool, County Durham, and Aldershot, Hampshire. August 1, 2024: Police announce that Rudakubana has been charged with the murders of Bebe, Elsie Dot and Alice, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article. He is not named by police because of his age. He appears in court in Liverpool and Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Andrew Menary KC rules he can be named, as he is due to turn 18 in a week.

He initially smiled on entering the courtroom - then kept his face covered by his sweatshirt for the remainder of the proceedings before the case was adjourned. Later that evening, demonstrators gather outside a hotel in Newton Heath, Manchester. August 2, 2024: Three police officers are taken to hospital after disorder in Sunderland. August 3, 2024: There are scenes of violence during planned protests across the UK, including in Liverpool, Hull, Nottingham and Belfast.

August 4, 2024: Disorder continues, including outside a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, where masked demonstrators launch lengths of wood and sprayed fire extinguishers at police officers. August 5, 2024: The Government holds an emergency Cobra meeting in the wake of the disorder and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vows to "ramp up criminal justice". That evening, a peaceful vigil is held in Southport, a week on from the killings. Police deal with disorder in Plymouth, Devon and Darlington, County Durham.

August 7, 2024: Prison sentences for those involved in the unrest begin to be handed out. Derek Drummond, 58, is the first person to be jailed for violent disorder at Liverpool Crown Court, where he is sentenced to three years. More than 100 protests are planned for across the country, with counter-demonstrations taking place, but the majority of police forces report very little trouble. October 29, 2024: Merseyside Police announces Rudakubana will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court via videolink the next day charged with production of a biological toxin, Ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.