Police and Prevent under scrutiny as details emerge on Southport killer
Police were called six times over Axel Rudakubana and he was referred to Prevent three times
Teenager Axel Rudakubana had attacked a pupil with a hockey stick, used school computers to look up the London Bridge terror outrage and carried a knife on a bus and into class before he carried out the Southport murders.
He prompted six separate calls to police and three separate referrals to Prevent, the government anti-terror programme.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has ordered a “thorough review” of the Prevent referrals, on each occasion his case was assessed by counter-terror police but not then sent for specialist support.
A public inquiry will also look to at any “missed opportunities” to identify his murderous intent.
Mark Winstanley, Assistant Chief Constable of Lancashire Police and also chair of Lancashire Children’s Safeguarding Assurance Partnership (CSAP), gave a briefing to journalists with more details about what was known of Rudakubana before the Southport attack.
Mr Winstanley said a review had found he became known to a range of services in 2019, initially due to his increasing anxiety and social isolation.
This then developed into some “challenging behaviours”, he added – prompting police involvement over a three-year period from 2019 to 2022.
Firstly, on October 7, 2019, police received a referral from ChildLine regarding Rudakubana, over comments he had made to them.
He had reported being bullied while a pupil at The Range High School, in Formby, near Southport, and said he had taken a knife from his kitchen to school on several occasions.
When asked why, he said: “To use it.”
He was spoken to by police, who also spoke to the school and officers made a Vulnerable Child Referral to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (Mash), for details to be assessed and shared with relevant agencies responsible for keeping children safe.
He was excluded from the Range school and transferred to specialist education providers at The Acorns School, in Ormskirk, Lancashire.
In December 2019, he went back to the Range High School and attacked another pupil with a hockey stick. He also had a kitchen knife in his backpack.
He was arrested, charged and admitted in court assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a bladed article. He was sentenced to a Youth Referral Order which he completed.
The same month the first Prevent referral was made after concerning comments he had made about a mass shooting. An assessment was made that Rudakubana, then aged 13, had vulnerabilities and needs and there was no obvious extremist ideology present. No further action was taken.
In February 2021, a fellow pupil of Rudakubana’s spotted a concerning social media post he had made about Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi and Prevent was contacted again. An assessment was made and his file closed.
Two months later in April 2021, a third and final Prevent referral was made after Rudakubana’s school teacher noticed he had two internet browsers open detailing the London Bridge terror attack. Prevent gathered information but the case was closed again.
On 5 November 2021, the police were called after Rudakubana became distressed when a stranger knocked at the door of the family home in Banks, Lancashire.
He calmed down and his parents contacted police to advise that no intervention or attendance was required. Police officers made a Vulnerable Child Referral to the Mash.
Days later on November 30, police were called following an argument where Rudakubana had kicked his father and caused damage to his car.
The father did not want to prosecute his son, and the police officer supported the decision given the circumstances. Officers again made a Vulnerable Child Referral to the Mash.
On March 17, 2022, Rudakubana’s mother called the police to report him missing after he left the house whilst his parents were out. He was found on a bus by officers after the driver called police when he refused to pay his fare.
When officers arrived, Rudakubana was compliant, left the bus and then disclosed that he was in possession of a knife which was found during a subsequent search.
Rudakubana was taken home and placed in the care of his parents. Officers gave advice to his mother regarding securing knives in the home and, due to the concern about his behaviour, officers then made a Vulnerable Child Referral to the Mash.
On May 14, 2022, Rudakubana’s father called the police reporting that his son’s behaviour had “escalated” after being denied access to a computer and officers attended. His parents were asking for assistance to help cope with him, and the officers made a Vulnerable Child Referral to the Mash.
And on March 21, 2023, the police control room received a call from a member of staff at Presfield High School in Southport, requesting a welfare check for their student – Axel Rudakubana – as he had not attended school since May 25, 2022. His in-person attendance at Presfield was less than 1%, it is understood.
Information was given to police to the effect that he had been seen by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in January 2023.
Mr Winstanley said the school request was assessed, and a decision was taken not to deploy as there was no immediate concern for his safety and the circumstances did not reach the threshold for police deployment.
He said police had reviewed each incident since the July attack and all will be “thoroughly examined” in the subsequent public inquiry and an Independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review to look at the roles of all the agencies involved with Rudakubana, will begin next month.
On Tuesday, Ms Cooper told Parliament several public bodies had contact with Rudakubana but had “completely failed to identify the terrible danger that he posed”.
“There were so many signs of how dangerous he had become, yet the action against him was far too weak,” she added.
Vicki Evans, senior national co-ordinator for Prevent and Pursue at Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “At the time the Prevent partnership response to the increasing fixation with extreme violence was evolving, but was less developed than it is today.
“Although improvements to help tackle this challenge have been made, it is right that questions are asked about what more needs to be done across the whole Prevent system and beyond.
“Many threads have to come together if we are to stop children and vulnerable people being led towards violence and extremism, including better and earlier identification of those at risk and reducing the ready access to weapons and horrific, toxic online material.”
