Liverpool crash suspect response shows police have learnt from Southport

12 comments

1. ***From The Telegraph:***

   Fewer than two hours after a people carrier ploughed into a crowd of pedestrians, Merseyside Police issued a statement confirming the suspect was a 53-year-old white British man from Liverpool.

   Last year, the city was rocked by the murders of three young girls in Southport, a town a few miles away.

   The identity of the perpetrator in that case was published two days later. On this occasion, the police were desperate to get ahead of the curve.

   In the wake of the Southport killings, there was a complete lack of information. That blank was filled with misinformation.

   Misleading claims about the attacker abounded on social media and their true identity was lost in a storm of inaccurate claims.

   The ethnicity and asylum status of the perpetrator were discussed and discussed and dissected on Right-wing social media channels. Ultimately, this silence helped to trigger riots across Britain.

   Senior figures in Merseyside Police were well aware of their failings in the handling of the Southport case. They are also well aware of how they could have communicated better following Monday’s attack.

   In a sense, they have. At an early stage they provided the ID of the alleged perpetrator and his ethnicity.

   Why does someone carry out a mass attack on innocent people? Of course, we need to leave that to the prosecutors.

   For an attack to be declared as terrorism under UK law, it must have been carried out “for the purpose of political, religious, racial or ideological cause”.

   In the Southport case, police and prosecutors claimed that they were unable to establish the motivation behind the stabbings beyond a desire to kill, which is why it was not classified as terrorism.

   We know nothing about why this attack was carried out. Yet.

   **Read more:** [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/26/liverpool-parade-crash-response-police-southport/](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/26/liverpool-parade-crash-response-police-southport/)

2. Playing devil’s advocate here but we can’t be sure they have learned and that this transparency will be used for all incidents and races until we have further incidents 

3. Surely the difference is that at Southport the perpetrator was under 18 and required a judge’s decision before details about him could be released?

4. It sets a precedent because in future cases, if the suspect identity is withheld, people will begin to question why, and tensions will inevitably rise.

   I think the broader situation reflects a lack of trust in public authorities, which stems from a gross failure to address the trauma of terrorism in the UK in the last decades.

   Conversely, there is a lack of trust from public authorities in the ability of the British public to cope in the aftermath of terrorism. To the best of my knowledge, only once there’s been rioting following a terrorist attack, which was last summer in Southport.

   Peoole will sense when something doesn’t feel right, whether that’s because information is being withheld or from ‘planned spontaneity’ in the aftermath of an attack. These approaches seem to be losing their effectiveness, which calls for a need for change.

   Hopefully, this is reflective of a new approach in the public response to terrorism.

5. Why does everyone think he’s the driver no reports say he was driving

6. Let’s hope this is the new standard and not a two tier thing.

7. The truth is they couldn’t hide anything because there where several videos of him so it wasn’t needed anyway

8. Just a heads up to everyone: DO NOT look for footage of this attack online. It’s too disturbing, and honestly, we shouldn’t be giving it any publicity.

   If anyone out there has footage that you recorded, turn it over to the proper authorities immediately. Do not post it on social media. Posting it online could hurt the investigation.

9. oh look, what a shock. none of the racists saying “religion of peace eh”. white British man. the fact this country has turned to riots over race is appaling

10. Wasn’t the Southport guy underaged?

11. The only lesson they’ve learnt is that until you can 100% confirm that the suspects identity can’t be used for racist propaganda by Farridge and his far right terrorist groups, just blurt out that its an old white scouser.

    Less likely to incite a riot from the gammon brigade

12. Police are govern the by law and right for the perpetrator to have a fair trial. Only people that need to learn are the scum that rioted last year.

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