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PHASE 1 of the Independent Statutory Inquiry, chaired by:- Sir Adrian Fulford, looked into the events leading up to the 2024 Southport attack and has found that the attack on innocent children attending a dance class in Southport:- 'could and should' have been stopped if the killer's parents and state agencies had acted sooner.

The attack on:- 29 July 2024 resulted in the deaths of 3 young girls:- Bebe King, aged 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, aged 9.

The Inquiry began on:- 8 September 2025 and lasted 9 weeks. The Inquiry has involved a rigorous and fair scrutiny of the years, months and days leading up to the attack. We have looked closely at the decisions made by a range of agencies that included:- across education, health, social care, policing, youth justice and many more.

During Phase 1 of the Southport Inquiry, evidence from over 100 witnesses was heard, of whom 67 gave live evidence to the Inquiry. The Inquiry received 25 impact statements and commemorative portraits. The Inquiry has involved a rigorous and fair scrutiny of the years, months and days leading up to the attack. We have looked closely at the decisions made by a range of agencies, across:- education, health, social care, policing, youth justice and more.

While many witness statements are contained within the 776 pages of the published report, specific impact statements from the families of the 3 girls are summarised below:-

Family of Bebe King - Described Bebe as a:- "joyful and caring" child. Their statement highlighted the:- "unbearable void" left in their lives and questioned why the warning signs regarding the perpetrator were not acted upon by those in authority.
Family of Elsie Dot Stancombe - Shared that Elsie was:- "the light of their lives" and a devoted sister. Their evidence focused on the need for accountability and ensuring that no other family has to endure such a preventable tragedy.
Family of Alice da Silva Aguiar - Remembered Alice as a:- "beautiful soul" who loved to dance. They expressed their:- "profound disappointment" in the systemic failures that allowed a known high risk individual to remain in the community without adequate supervision.

The Southport Inquiry on:- 13 April 2026, provided insights into the failings that allowed a young man with a previous history of violence to commit this horrendous attack.

The report published on:- 13 April 2026 has 776 pages which describe a:- "systemic failure of the state," and a:- "catastrophic" breakdown in communication between multiple agencies...

There was a fundamental failure by any single organisation to take ownership of the risk posed by the perpetrator, Axel Rudakubana.
Information management and sharing between agencies was found to be poor, with critical risk details being lost or diluted over time.
The perpetrator's autism was frequently used by professionals as an explanation or excuse for his violent conduct, meaning the actual threat he posed was underestimated and unmanaged.
Agencies showed only a:- "glancing interest" in the killer's online activities, despite him researching terror attacks and School shootings.
There was a specific missed opportunity in March 2022 when the perpetrator was found on a bus with a knife and admitted wanting to stab someone; he was not arrested, and his home was not searched.
The perpetrator's parents were found to have created significant obstructions to constructive engagement and failed to report escalating concerns to the authorities.

On 13 April 2026, Sir Adrian Fulford delivered a statement at Liverpool Town Hall to mark the publication of the Phase 1 report. In his address, he set out the gravity of the findings and addressed the families of:- Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice da Silva Aguiar directly.

Sir Adrian ended his statement, closing Part 1 of the Southport Inquiry, by saying:- "We cannot undo the past, but we must ensure that the state never again fails its most vulnerable citizens in such a comprehensive and devastating manner."

Key elements of his statement included:-

Recognition of the Victims - Sir Adrian began by paying tribute to the 3 girls and the 10 others who were injured, stating that the:- "unimaginable suffering" of the families had been at the forefront of the Inquiry's work.
The "Systemic Failure" - He stated that the attack was:- "not a random, unforeseeable event," but was the culmination of a:- "systemic failure of the state" spanning several years.
Accountability of Agencies - He remarked that multiple agencies had:- "sufficient information" to identify the perpetrator as a high risk individual, but a:- "catastrophic breakdown in communication" meant that no one took responsibility for the danger he posed.
The March 2022 Opportunity - Sir Adrian specifically highlighted the 2022 incident involving a knife, describing the failure to arrest the perpetrator or search his home at that time as a:- "pivotal missed opportunity" that:- "could and should" have changed the course of events.
The Role of the Parents - He noted that while state agencies failed, the parents of the perpetrator also:- "repeatedly obstructed" the efforts of those trying to provide support and failed to disclose the full extent of their son's:- "disturbing fixations."
Commitment to Change - He concluded by promising that Phase 2 would be:- "unflinching" in its examination of how young people with violent obsessions are monitored in the UK, ensuring that the:- "776 pages of failures" documented in Phase 1 lead to:- "meaningful, national change."

The inquiry will now move into Phase 2. The findings of Phase 1 will now shape the focus of Phase 2 of the inquiry. Phase 2 will specifically examine the broader risks posed by young people who develop fixations or obsessions with acts of extreme violence. Phase 2 is expected to start later on this year (2026.)

You can find out more about the findings published on:- 13 April 2026, by going to:- Southport.Public-Inquiry.UK.

The report ublished its on:- 13 April 2026, at:- Liverpool Town Hall online now. Also see:- .Gov.UK.

The Southport Hesketh Round Table Go Fund Me page is still taking donations to help the Southport Families After 29 July 2024 Attack. To help the familiys, please go to:- GofFndMe.Com. .

Liverpool (Gladstone)

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