A teenager has been sentenced to 52 years in prison for fatally stabbing three girls at a children’s Taylor Swift-themed event in the United Kingdom last year.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty to all charges, including three counts of murder, earlier this week on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
The horrific stabbing spree unfolded in July in Southport, a seaside town about 20 miles north of Liverpool. Merseyside police said the children were attending a Taylor Swift-themed event at a dance school.
Three girls — 6-year-old Bebe King, 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and 9-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar — were killed. Ten people were also injured in the attack, police said.
Emergency services near the scene in Hart Street, Southport, England, of a knife attack, July 29, 2024.
James Speakman/PA Images via Getty Images
Rudakubana, from Banks in Lancashire, was initially charged with three counts of murder, as well as 10 charges of attempted murder and one charge of possession of a knife in the incident. He subsequently faced a terror charge for possessing a jihadi training manual and was charged with producing ricin, a toxin.
He pleaded guilty to all 16 charges on Monday.
Judge Julian Goose sentenced Rudakubana to a minimum of 52 years for the murder charges, with sentences on the additional charges running concurrently.
“It is highly likely that he will never be released,” Goose said in court after issuing the sentence.
Merseyside police called Rudakubana’s attack “cowardly and terrifying” in a statement following the sentencing.
“We want to pay tribute to Bebe, Elsie and Alice, who will never be forgotten, and the children and adults who suffered serious injuries, and those young victims who were severely traumatized by what they witnessed on that day,” Merseyside police said in a statement. “Although no outcome at court could possibly ease the pain and trauma for the victims and their families, we hope that knowing he will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison will bring them some comfort.”
Swift met with family members of the victims and those injured in the attack while she was performing at Wembley Stadium in August.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
