We will name police and social workers unless action is taken, Southport families’ lawyer asserts

The legal representative for the families of the three girls killed in the Southport attacks has stated that individuals from five agencies will be publicly named unless suitable disciplinary measures are implemented. The victims, Bebe King (six), Elsie Dot Stancombe (seven), and Alice da Silva Aguiar (nine), were murdered by 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in June 2024.

On Monday, the public inquiry highlighted “catastrophic” parental and local authority shortcomings, describing a cycle of referrals, assessments, and transfers between agencies as failing to prevent the “predictable and preventable” attack. Chris Walker, representing the families, emphasized that the performance of these agencies was found to be “totally unacceptable.”

“There are five particular state entities which are causing us most concern, and we, frankly, find their behaviour unacceptable,” Walker said. “Prevent, Lancashire Police, Lancashire Social Services, CAMHS, and FCAMHS.”

Prevent, a Home Office initiative, aims to stop individuals from becoming extremists and executing attacks. Walker added: “I know the names of those individuals. If necessary, if we’re not satisfied, I will be naming them publicly and bringing out their individual failings, which is entirely unacceptable.”

“The families, quite frankly, are aghast,” he said. “The murders were predictable and preventable. The systemic failures, along with the individual shortcomings at those five agencies, are wholly unacceptable.”

The inquiry revealed that “no agency or multi-agency structure accepted responsibility” for assessing and managing the “grave risk” posed by the attacker. His autism was used as an “excuse” for prior behavior, leading to a misjudgment of the threat he presented.

Walker explained that he had already reached out to the agencies, demanding disciplinary proceedings against responsible individuals several months ago. “Now that the inquiry report is concluded, I will follow up with them to ensure disciplinary actions meet our expectations,” he noted.

Regarding Prevent, Walker criticized their grasp of the term “ideology,” stating: “They’ve failed to implement the ideological consequences or understanding in their various gateways. The intent to cause mass murder must be prevented, regardless of the underlying reasons.”

Phase Two of the Southport Inquiry will commence immediately after the release of the 760-page Phase One report, set to conclude in Spring 2027. It will examine the “adequacy of arrangements” for identifying and managing risk from individuals obsessed with extreme violence.

“It’s pointless having a glossy book sitting at the end of someone’s desk gathering dust with recommendations,” Walker remarked. “We can’t continue to move from disaster to disaster, inquiry to inquiry without meaningful change.”

He concluded: “The families are living in a horror movie—and yesterday brought it all back. Every new report or incident forces them to relive the tragedy once again.”

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via WhatsApp to 0808 100 2230.