A brave girl aged just seven shielded other children from the Southport attacker and ‘fought like hell’ to survive, her tearful mother told a public inquiry.
The youngster, who was the most gravely injured in the atrocity, crouched over other girls to protect them from Axel Rudakubana – who inflicted more than 30 stab wounds on her tiny body.
She later told her mother: ‘I’m glad I could help them, Mum.’
The inquiry is investigating how various agencies, including the police, the courts, the NHS and social services, failed to spot the risk posed by Rudakubana, 18, in the run-up to the attack.
The girl’s mother said that, while she had no doubt that teachers running the Taylor Swift-themed dance class last July helped save lives, the ‘uncomfortable and painful truth’ was that children were left alone, without any adult help, to save themselves.
She insisted difficult questions must be asked at the hearings and meaningful changes ‘promised’ to stop anything similar ever happening again. ‘Our girls deserve an apology,’ she said.
Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent, the Government’s counter-terror programme, three times but his case was closed prematurely because he did not have a clear political or religious motivation. He had also been caught repeatedly with a knife.
On the second day of the hearings, a series of moving impact statements from the parents of four of the girls who attended the holiday club, at the Hart Space, in the Merseyside seaside town, were read to a hushed council chamber at Liverpool Town Hall.
Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were murdered at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29 last year
A court sketch of Axel Rudakubana appearing via videolink at Liverpool Crown Court during his trial. He has since been jailed for life for his murderous knife rampage last summer
The mother of the previously ‘carefree’ girl, known as Child 1, wept as she described how her daughter fell over in the ‘stampede’ to flee Rudakubana, who had burst into the class and started randomly stabbing those inside.
She became trapped at the top of a stairwell and crouched over another child to protect her, reassuring her that ‘it would be okay’ but suffering ‘catastrophic injuries’ as a consequence.
‘It happened so fast, but I helped them, I’m glad I could help them, mum,’ she told her mother.
Child 1 eventually managed to escape and ran outside, only for Rudakubana to drag her back into the building, where the youngsters had been making friendship bracelets, and continue his merciless attack.
Distressing CCTV footage of her being pulled back inside, before emerging again and collapsing 11 seconds later, was shown to Liverpool Crown Court when Rudakubana – who was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum term of 52 years – was sentenced in January.
The then 17-year-old murdered Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and attempted to murder eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, plus class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes, in the atrocity.
The mother said the ‘lived experiences’ of all the girls on that day was different but the ‘most painful truth’ for their family was that ‘there were no adults to help’ their daughter.
‘I don’t for a moment doubt that the actions of the teachers there that day saved lives,’ the mother said. ‘They escaped to call the police and flag down help, they shielded other children. I am grateful for what they did for those girls.
Bebe King, six, was one of three girls murdered at the Taylor Dance workshop last year
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, with a cardboard cutout of her pop hero before the fatal attack
Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, was also at the event held at the Hart Space, in Southport and died of her injuries
‘But the uncomfortable and often unspoken truth of our own reality is that, when the adults left in those first moments, our daughter had to save herself.
‘She fought like hell to get herself out of that building, twice. And that reality is painful – our children fought alone, they shielded each other, comforted each other, and helped each other and that must be remembered.’
She said that, until now, their stories of ‘remarkable strength and bravery’ were ‘untold’ but were ‘vitally important’.
The girl, now eight, had 33 stab wounds, two life-saving operations and spent four days on a ventilator in intensive care. All of her blood had to be replaced. Her mother said she was still physically recovering and will have to live with her scars for ever.
She also suffers panic attacks, flashbacks and extreme separation anxiety, which means she is unable to attend school full time, her mother said.
She added: ‘She is trying to make sense of something that makes no sense. She needs us to guarantee her safety in a world where we can’t. It is like sucking out poison.’ She also revealed social media users had made TikTok videos of her daughter’s injuries and shared them online.
The injuries had been detailed at Rudakubana’s sentencing hearing in January.
The mother said that despite what her daughter has been through, she displayed empathy towards her attacker – even asking questions about how he got the knife and what his life must have been like for him to want to carry out such an atrocity.
Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time of his rampage, was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 52 years – one of the highest minimum terms on record (he is seen in a court sketch)
The mother said the inquiry ‘must answer’ her girl’s questions and added: ‘She deserves the truth, she deserves accountability. She deserves an apology… Our girls deserve an apology.’
In a moving conclusion to her statement, the mother of Child 1 addressed all the children who survived directly.
She said: ‘To all of the girls: make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it – because you have every right to.
‘We are all right here with you as you learn how to survive this.
‘We will draw stars around your scars. And to my darling daughter, you are pure magic, we are so proud of you, and we love you so much.’
Distressing CCTV, which was shown to Liverpool Crown Court when Rudakubana was sentenced, revealed Child 1 eventually made it outside, only to be dragged back inside by the perpetrator, who inflicted more stab wounds.
‘For eleven seconds she is out of sight,’ the mother said. ‘And then there she is again. She has stood up after enduring another attack of more than twenty stab wounds to her back and shoulders.
‘She stumbles outside to the windows reaching for help. She eventually falls and soon after is carried to safety.
Police on Hart Street Southport, Merseyside, immediately after the attack in July last year
Child 1’s mother said they had replaced sharp-tipped knives in their home with blunt tipped ones and even these were kept out of sight.
She said that, despite what her daughter has been through, she is able to show empathy towards her attacker – even asking questions about how he got the knife and what his life must have been like for him to want to carry out such an atrocity on innocent young girls.
‘I haven’t found the words for these conversations yet and I muddle through,’ the mother added.
‘But one day she will learn the outcome of this inquiry and I am terrified that it will be earth shattering for her and we will have to begin her recovery again.’
Earlier, the inquiry heard from parents of a young girl seriously injured in the Southport attack, who described their daughter as their ‘hero’ for remaining ‘positive’ despite struggling with the emotional and physical scars of what she had suffered.
The mother and father, whose nine-year-old daughter was stabbed three times in the back by Rudakubana, delivered the first of four impact statements on the second day of the public inquiry this morning.
The girl’s father said that she didn’t even see ‘coward’ Rudakubana but ‘knew she had to run.’
He said she was the first child out of the Hart Space, where the Taylor Swift dance club, was being held.
Floral tributes alongside a photo of Elsie Dot Stancombe as locals paid tribute to the three young girls outside the Atkinson Art Centre in Southport in 2024
‘We have seen the CCTV footage of her, looking scared, confused and pained, as she runs from the building,’ he said. ‘It was troubling for us to see what she had to go through, before either of her parents had arrived at the scene.
‘We are so thankful and proud that despite being critically injured she was able to make the decisions she did in that terrible moment.’
The father said that their daughter, who underwent six hours of emergency surgery for her injuries, still had difficulty going to sleep at night, suffered flashbacks and was scared of loud noises, was always looking ‘over her shoulder’ scanning for potential danger when she left the house, and even had to turn off particular songs when they came on the radio.
He also said that the ripples of the attack had affected every member of their family.
‘Life is certainly not like it was before,’ he said. ‘Some days are good, and others less so. We remain a strong family unit, but dealing with what happened that day has been unbelievably challenging for every member of our family. There is no handbook to navigate what we have had to endure. We continue to lean on each other, and that support continues to get us through our most difficult moments.’
But, despite this, he said his daughter had ‘astounded’ them with the way she had coped over the past 12 months since the attack last July, and her recovery had been ‘inspiring to witness.’
The father said that he ‘couldn’t be prouder’ of her and they remained determined that the ‘trauma’ of the attack would not to ‘define’ her life.
‘Despite what she has been through, our daughter remains the positive, caring, funny, enthusiastic, courageous girl she always was,’ he added.
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Southport murders came after 'wholesale failure' to stop Axel Rudakubana, inquiry hears
‘She has no self-pity about what happened to her. She wears her scars with a dignity and defiance that is remarkable. She has the skills and personality to do whatever she wants as she grows up. We know that she will continue to press ahead with her positive outlook through life.
‘Our daughter knows that she is loved – by us her parents, by her wider family, and by the friends who have supported us since that horrendous day. It is through this support and love that she will continue to thrive. We couldn’t be prouder of her. She is our hero.’
Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 52 years – one of the highest on record – after pleading guilty to the three murders and 10 attempted murders, plus other offences, including making the deadly toxin ricin, in January.
The mother of another young girl who attended the dance class said her daughter had asked her ‘will I ever be normal again’ following the horrific attack.
Her statement, read by solicitor, Nicola Ryan-Donnelly, revealed the youngster was already an anxious child and had to be encouraged to attend the Taylor Swift-themed event.
She said she felt ‘proud’ that she had decided to go but what she witnessed when she went to collect her, unaware of what was going on, would ‘stick with me forever.’
‘To witness children running from the building, screaming and fearing for their lives is the most horrific experience of my life,’ she said. ‘I constantly have flashbacks and re-live what happened.’
The mother said that, although physically unharmed, her daughter continued to struggle with the psychological impact of the trauma and was still unable to talk about what she witnessed.
Sir Adrian Fulford, chairman of the public inquiry which is being held at Liverpool Town Hall
She said her daughter had become ‘very withdrawn, emotional and had so many worries. ‘In her words, ‘How will I ever be normal again?’ ‘
She said she is now anxious about not being with her close family or going to events without them, she is scared when she hears a siren or sees an emergency vehicle, she struggles to fall asleep and is unable to sleep alone.
The mother said some days her daughter is too anxious to go to school and hides under the dining table, but when she does, she sits close to the door, so she can always see who is entering the classroom.
She said both she and her daughter have undergone therapy, which had helped, but she added: ‘Some days continue to feel so difficult, trying to process everything happening around us.
‘There were times when I didn’t know which way to turn. I am so thankful of the support that we have all have received as a family, not only through my therapy sessions but also from our family, friends and work colleagues, without this support I don’t think we would be where we are today.’
She said her husband and other child had also been deeply affected by what happened but the family were determined to make sure what happened ‘doesn’t control our lives or take away our joy.’
‘Our daughter is a strong, brave and beautiful little girl who has so much love and support around her to get her through the tough days,’ she added. ‘As her parents all we want is for her to feel safe, loved and to enjoy her childhood and we will do everything we can to make this happen.’
Yesterday Sir Adrian Fulford, who is overseeing the hearings into Axel Rudakubana’s killing spree, said he would not be named during the inquiry and instead will be referred to only as the ‘perpetrator’ or by his initials, AR.
The inquiry is examining how Rudakubana, 18, was allowed to commit such an egregious crime despite being known to several agencies, including the police, courts, social services and the NHS
He said the decision was for the ‘benefit’ of the families of his victims, who felt ‘understandable sensitivity’ around his name.
The former vice-president of the Court of Appeal also urged the media not to use the killer’s police mugshot, which he said was ‘retraumatising’ and causing continued ‘distress’ to the girls who survived.
Sir Adrian said Rudakubana perpetrated ‘an almost unimaginable but nonetheless mercilessly calculated’ killing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed dance club in the Merseyside seaside town last July.
The retired judge described the attack as ‘one of the most egregious crimes in our country’s history.’
Sir Adrian said it was ‘truly critical’ that the inquiry secured answers for the families of Rudakubana’s victims and made recommendations to prevent anything similar happening in the future.
The hearings will examine why several agencies, including the police, the courts, the NHS and social services, who all had contact with Rudukabana, failed to identify the risk he posed. It will also investigate whether the attack could or should have been prevented.
Sir Adrian said that one consideration for the inquiry would be whether courts should be allowed to impose restrictions on people suspected of planning serious violent offences, even if they have not committed any crime.
It will look into whether measures, such as imposing curfews, electronic tags, internet bans or restrictions on social media use should be available in such circumstances.
Rudakubana watched a huge volume of violent material online and was referred three times to Prevent, the Government’s counter extremism programme, in the years prior to the attack.
But because he did not have a clear ideology his case was closed prematurely each time.
Locals hold a vigil outside the art centre in rememberance of Elsiie Dot, Alice and Bebe following the attack on the dance school in Southport last July
Balloons and floral tributes were left as residents paid their respects to the three young girls last year
Sir Adrian said the inquiry will examine whether Prevent needs to be overhauled to address those drawn into extreme violence without a clear ‘religious or political cause.’
The chairman said there appeared to be several ‘undisputed and troubling facts’ that already suggested Rudakubana’s attack was far from being ‘an unforeseeable catastrophic event.’
By July last year, he had been on the radar of various State agencies for several years, had a ‘known predilection for knife crime’ and posed a ‘very serious and significant risk of violent harm,’ Sir Adrian said.
‘Furthermore, his ability, unhindered, to access gravely violent material on the internet, to order knives online at a young age, and then to leave home unsupervised to commit the present attack, speaks to a wholesale and general failure to intervene effectively, or indeed at all, to address the risks that he posed,’ he added.
Police discovered a sinister arsenal of weapons, including a bow and arrow, two machetes, two large kitchen knives, a sledgehammer, materials to make Molotov cocktail explosives and ingredients to make the deadly toxin ricin, at Rudakubana’s home following the attack.
The widespread rioting and civil unrest following the murders is not being examined by the inquiry.
Impact statements from parents of four child survivors will be read to the inquiry today. The hearings will then be adjourned until September, when statements from the remaining relatives of victims and survivors are expected to continue.