A British teenager on Monday (January 20) killed a young girl in what prosecutors said was a “well-planned” stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Britain last summer. He pleaded guilty to murdering three people and attempting to murder 10 others.
Axel Rudakvana, 18, made the surprise statement as jury selection was expected to begin at the start of the trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
The July 29 stabbing shocked the whole of Britain and sparked a week of mass protests in parts of England and Northern Ireland after the suspect was mistakenly identified as an asylum seeker who had just arrived in Britain by boat. caused a riot. He was born in Wales.
The attack occurred on the first day of summer vacation, when the girls were attending a class at Heart Space, a sanctuary hidden behind a row of houses, where they learned yoga and danced to Taylor Swift songs. What was supposed to be a day of joy turned into a day of terror and heartbreak when a knife-wielding rudakubana invaded the seaside town of Southport in northwest England and began stabbing girls and teachers.
“This was an unspeakable attack that left a lasting mark on our community and nation with its brutality and senselessness,” said Deputy Chief Prosecutor Ursula Doyle. “What was supposed to be a carefree and innocent day saw children enjoying dance workshops and making friendship bracelets, as Axel Rudakubana executed his carefully planned romp. It was a scene of the darkest horror.”
Prosecutors have not said what prompted Rudakubana, who was just days shy of his 18th birthday, to commit the atrocities, but Doyle said he was “sick and tired of death and violence”. It was clear that he had a “sustained interest.”
Rudakbana had consistently refused to speak in court, but spoke again when asked to identify herself at the start of proceedings. But when the 16-count indictment was read to him and he was asked to answer, he broke his silence and answered “guilty” to each charge.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder, and additional charges related to possession of the poison ricin and possession of al-Qaeda manuals.
Judge Julian Goose said in Thursday’s ruling that Rudakbana could be sentenced to life in prison.
Defense lawyer Stanley Rees said he would provide the judge with information about Rudakbana’s mental health that could be relevant to sentencing.
Surviving victims and families of those killed were absent from court as they were scheduled to arrive for opening statements on Tuesday.
Ms. Goose asked the prosecutor to apologize on her behalf for not attending Ms. Rudakubana’s arraignment.
He pleaded guilty to killing Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancomb, 7, and Bebe King, 6.
Eight other girls, aged between seven and 13, were injured, as were instructor Leanne Lucas and John Hayes, who works at a store next door and intervened. Fifteen other 5-year-old girls were also in the class but were not injured. Due to a court order, the names of the surviving girls cannot be published.
Ms Hayes, who was seriously injured in the stabbing, said she still has flashbacks of the incident and was “very upset at the time that there was nothing more I could have done”.
“But I did the best I could in the circumstances,” he told Sky News. “I’m grateful to be here and I’m going to make a full recovery, at least physically. …I’m going to be okay, but other people aren’t, and that’s what’s really remarkable. I think so.”
Police said the stabbing was not classified as an act of terrorism because the motive was unknown.
Several months after his arrest at the scene of the crime, Rudakbana was charged with manufacturing the biological toxin ricin and possessing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing a terrorist act for allegedly having in his possession a manual. Additional charges were filed. with documents on his computer.
Police said they found the evidence while searching his family’s home in a nearby village.
The day after the killings and shortly after a peaceful vigil for the victims ended, a gang of violent men attacked a mosque near the crime scene, threw bricks and bottles at police officers, and set fire to a police vehicle.
The riots then spread to dozens of other towns over the next week, with groups of mostly men mobilized by far-right activists on social media clashing with police during violent protests and opening up hotels where migrants were staying. attacked.
More than 1,200 people were arrested for the disorder, and hundreds were sentenced to up to nine years in prison.
