Pain of murdered girls' parents

As the killer of the three children murdered in Southport is sentenced to 52 years in prison, the victims’ parents face a lifetime of grief

- Sarah Tulloch

Last summer, teenager Axel Rudakubana took the lives of three innocent, happy young girls in an attack the judge called “the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious crime”. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died during the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. The shocking incident unfolded at The Hart Space on a small business park in the seaside town of Southport, shortly before midday on 29 July.

The defendant, who was 17 at the time of the killings, admitted their murders 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.

Cardiff-born Rudakubana also pleaded guilty to possession of a knife, which he bought on Amazon; production of a biological toxin - ricin - on or before 29 July; and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

On Thursday 23 January, at Liverpool Crown Court, Rudakubana was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 52 years. Judge Mr Justice Goose said, “I consider it is likely at this time that he will never be released.”

A statement from Alexandra and Sergio Aguiar, whose daughter Alice was fatally stabbed by Rudakubana, was read out in the killer’s presence. It said, “Our dream girl has been taken away in such a horrible, undeserving way that it shattered our souls.

“We’re heartbroken that we can never help Alice fulfil her dreams, we can’t hug her, brush her hair, take her to school through her beloved Botanic Gardens. We can no longer wake up with her happy smile, being playful, or get a morning kiss and hug from her.