Southport killer Axel Rudakubana’s family have been left ‘devastated’ by the massacre, according to the local church his dad attended. The 18-year-old admitted murdering three girls – Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine – at a Taylor Swift-themed summer holiday dance class on July 29.
Image Credit: Metro [Handout file photo of Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, one of the three children killed in a knife attack during a Taylor Swift event at a dance school in Southport. Axel Rudakubana, 18, who is accused of the knife-attack murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, has been charged with a terror offence and producing the deadly poison ricin which was found in his home. Issue date: Tuesday October 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Southport. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.]
In a statement, leaders of The Community Church in Southport, attended by Rudakubana’s father Alphonse, said the family had been moved to a secret location for their protection. Church leaders Dave Gregg, Geoff Grice, Harry Pickett and Mike Rothwell, said: ‘Axel was born and went to school in the United Kingdom, he has autism and has struggled with mental health issues.
Image Credit: Metro [Handout file photo of Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, one of the three children killed in a knife attack during a Taylor Swift event at a dance school in Southport. Axel Rudakubana, 18, who is accused of the knife-attack murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, has been charged with a terror offence and producing the deadly poison ricin which was found in his home.Issue date: Tuesday October 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Southport. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.]
‘Prior to the major incident in Southport, he had been living with his parents in the village of Banks near Southport. ‘There has been the inevitable speculation about his family and background – with his father Alphonse being named in the national press.
Image Credit: Metro [Handout photo of Bebe King, 6, one of the three children killed in a knife attack during a Taylor Swift event at a dance school in SOuthport. Axel Rudakubana, 18, who is accused of the knife-attack murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, has been charged with a terror offence and producing the deadly poison ricin which was found in his home.Issue date: Tuesday October 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Southport. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire Issue date: Tuesday October 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Southport. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.]
‘It has also been reported that his parents are both Christians and attend a local church. ‘To prevent unnecessary intrusion into other churches in our town, we can confirm that over the last few years Alphonse Rudakubana has been a valued part of The Community Church family.
Image Credit: Metro [Axel Rudakubana, aged 18, from Banks in Lancashire has today (Monday 20 January 2025) pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to all 16 counts he was charged with. They were 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. He was additionally charged on 29 October with production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, contrary to Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974; and 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. Following his guilty plea, Rudakubana was remanded in custody to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday 23 January]
‘For the sake of clarity, Alphonse’s son and family never attended our Sunday gatherings, nor played any active part in church life. As a consequence we have nothing further to say other than the detail given in this statement. ‘The Rudakubana family have been devastated following this terrible incident and they have been moved by the police, for their protection, from their home in Banks to a secret location that we are unaware of.
![[Handout file photo of Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, one of the three children killed in a knife attack during a Taylor Swift event at a dance school in Southport. Axel Rudakubana, 18, who is accused of the knife-attack murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, has been charged with a terror offence and producing the deadly poison ricin which was found in his home. Issue date: Tuesday October 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Southport. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_227604543-7701.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Handout file photo of Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, one of the three children killed in a knife attack during a Taylor Swift event at a dance school in Southport. Axel Rudakubana, 18, who is accused of the knife-attack murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, has been charged with a terror offence and producing the deadly poison ricin which was found in his home.Issue date: Tuesday October 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Southport. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_227604456-ee77-e1737374243332.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Handout photo of Bebe King, 6, one of the three children killed in a knife attack during a Taylor Swift event at a dance school in SOuthport. Axel Rudakubana, 18, who is accused of the knife-attack murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, has been charged with a terror offence and producing the deadly poison ricin which was found in his home.Issue date: Tuesday October 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Southport. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire Issue date: Tuesday October 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Southport. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_227604457-b389-e1737374272913.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Axel Rudakubana, aged 18, from Banks in Lancashire has today (Monday 20 January 2025) pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to all 16 counts he was charged with. They were 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. He was additionally charged on 29 October with production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, contrary to Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974; and 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. Following his guilty plea, Rudakubana was remanded in custody to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday 23 January]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236669175-1829.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
