Authorities deny witholding information on Southport attacks

Authorities have denied withholding information about the Southport attacks.

Officers “wanted to say much more” but were advised not to as it could risk justice being delivered, Merseyside Police said.

Full details of the prosecution case will be made public when child-killer Axel Rudakubana, 18, is sentenced on Thursday, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended prosecutors and said they had been clear that disclosing “important information” about Rudakubana’s past could jeopardise a fair trial.

Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died when Rudakubana attacked them at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the seaside town shortly before midday on July 29 last year.

He admitted their murders at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, as well as the attempted murders of eight other children who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.

After the hearing, the Chief Constable of Merseyside, Serena Kennedy, said: “There is no doubt in my mind that Merseyside Police has conducted a thorough and extensive investigation focused on bringing justice for the families.

“We have been accused of purposely withholding information, this is absolutely not the case.

“From day one we have been as open as we possibly could and have constantly been in touch with the CPS who have advised us on what information could be released.

“We have wanted to say much more to show we were being open and transparent, but we have been advised throughout that we couldn’t do so as it would risk justice being delivered.

“We know from our investigation that Axel Rudakubana was known to a range of services prior to the incident in Southport.”

Lancashire Child Safeguarding Partnership has commissioned an independent child safeguarding practice review to look at the role of each agency involved with Rudakubana and his family, she added.

Ms Kennedy said it aims “to identify if there is any learning which could assist the collective safeguarding practice”.

Nick Price, director of legal services at the CPS, said: “The next stage of the process is for the prosecution to present our full case to the court on Thursday – including relevant details of the defendant’s past – so the judge can consider all of the evidence when passing sentence.

“This will be the point when the full details of this case will be heard by the public.

“We recognise the profound interest in these proceedings and it is important the prosecution case is presented to the court so the facts can be determined which may inform the sentence handed down.”

The Home Secretary defended the CPS as she announced an inquiry would be held into how Rudakubana “came to be so dangerous”.

Ms Cooper confirmed he had had contact with the anti-extremism Prevent scheme, police, the courts, the youth justice system, social services and mental health services.

She said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has been clear that important information about the perpetrator’s past could not be made public before today to avoid jeopardising the legal proceedings or prejudicing the possible jury trial, in line with the normal rules of the British justice systems.

“Nothing has been more important than securing justice for the families.

“But now that there has been a guilty plea, it is essential that the families and the people of Southport can get answers about how this terrible attack could take place and about why this happened to their children.”

Unrest erupted across the country after the Southport attack, with mosques and hotels used to house asylum seekers among the locations targeted.

In the hours after the stabbing, false information spread online which claimed the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat.