We will name police and social workers unless action taken, Southport families lawyer says
We will name police and social workers unless action is taken, Southport families lawyer says
Public inquiry highlights systemic failures in preventing attack
A lawyer representing the families of three murdered girls has stated that individuals from five agencies will be publicly identified unless appropriate disciplinary measures are implemented. The incident occurred in June 2024 when 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana killed Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
“Those who did not act to stop the attack will be named unless disciplinary steps are taken,” said Chris Walker, legal representative for the families. “We are concerned about the performance of five key state entities and find their behavior unacceptable.”
The public inquiry revealed “catastrophic” parental and local authority shortcomings, citing a cycle of referrals, assessments, and handovers between agencies that failed to address the “predictable and preventable” threat. Walker emphasized the need to hold these agencies accountable, stating, “If we’re not satisfied, we will name individuals and expose their individual failings.”
Walker specifically mentioned the five entities: Prevent, Lancashire Police, Lancashire Social Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), and Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (FCAMHS). He criticized Prevent, a Home Office initiative, for misunderstanding the concept of “ideology,” noting their failure to recognize the ideological motivations behind the attack.
“The desire to cause mass murder must be prevented, regardless of the individual’s intentions,” Walker added. “We cannot allow agencies to pass responsibility between themselves or downplay their role in such cases.” The inquiry report concluded that no agency or multi-agency structure accepted responsibility for the grave risk posed by the attacker, with his autism used as an excuse for past behavior.
Phase Two of the Southport Inquiry will commence immediately following the 760-page Phase One report, focusing on the effectiveness of risk identification and management systems for individuals fixated on extreme violence. Walker warned that without meaningful change, the families would continue reliving the horror of the event, calling it “a horror movie” that has become their reality.
“Recommendations in a glossy report are useless if they don’t lead to action,” he said. “We must avoid repeating disasters and ensure accountability through thorough disciplinary processes.” The families, he added, are “aghast” at the systemic failures that allowed the tragedy to occur.
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