U.K. Teenager Pleads Guilty to Murdering Three Young Girls at Taylor Swift-Themed Dance Party
Axel Rudakubana, 18, admits to the horrific killings that shocked the nation and triggered widespread unrest.
LIVERPOOL, England — A British teenager, Axel Rudakubana, 18, shocked the court on Monday by unexpectedly changing his plea to guilty for the murders of three young girls in a brutal knife attack that occurred in northern England last July.
Rudakubana pleaded guilty to the murder of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, who were attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance event designed for children during the summer break in Southport, a coastal town north of Liverpool. The crime sent shockwaves across the nation, leaving communities in disbelief.
On what was to be the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Rudakubana also admitted to 10 additional charges of attempted murder related to the attack. Additionally, he acknowledged possessing dangerous items, including producing the deadly poison ricin and an Al Qaeda training manual.
Judge Julian Goose confirmed that Rudakubana would be sentenced on Thursday, noting that a life sentence was unavoidable. However, the victims’ families were not present to witness his plea, as the prosecution’s opening statements were not expected until the following day.
Initially, Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time of the attack, had remained silent when asked to confirm his name, a stance that led to his not guilty pleas being entered on his behalf in December. However, after consulting with his lawyer, he changed his mind and decided to enter guilty pleas.
The teenager, who was born in the U.K., was arrested shortly after the knife attack. Despite the discovery of the Al Qaeda manual, police have clarified that the attack was not linked to terrorism.
The murders led to days of widespread disturbances in Southport, fueled by false reports circulating on social media that the suspect was a radical Islamist migrant. These falsehoods sparked violent riots across the country, with mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers being targeted. In response, Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence, which resulted in over 1,500 arrests, attributing the unrest to far-right extremists.