It will examine the events leading up to the tragedy last year
Chair Sir Adrian Fulford sitting inside the hearing room at Liverpool Town Hall(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
The Southport Inquiry will begin again today. Announced by the government in January, after Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty to the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine in Southport last year, the independent inquiry will examine events leading up to the tragedy, and look at what could have been done to prevent it.
It was opened back in July and the inquiry heard emotional evidence from some of the victims of the horrific attacks last summer and their families. Held at Liverpool Town Hall, the inquiry will examine failures leading up to the tragedy, and look at what could have been done to prevent the murders.
Sir Adrian Fulford was appointed as the chair of the hearings, following consultation with the families of those killed and affected by the attack. Sir Adrian described the Southport attacks as “one of the most egregious crimes in our country’s history.”
He said the inquiry will endeavour to find out what went wrong in the lead up to the attack. Further commemorative and impact evidence will be heard today before beginning evidential hearings on September 22.
Chair Sir Adrian Fulford sitting inside the hearing room at Liverpool Town Hall(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Rudakubana was jailed for life with a minimum term of 52 years at Liverpool Crown Court in January. Following the guilty plea, huge questions were asked of the authorities and security services.
It was revealed that Rudakubana was referred to the Prevent programme – which aims to stop individuals becoming terrorists – on three separate occasions before he committed the murders. When she announced the inquiry, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it would look at how the killer “came to be so dangerous” and why the Prevent scheme “failed to identify the terrible risk” he posed to others.
On January 21, Sir Keir Starmer said the ‘Westminster system’ was slow to react to the threat of Rudakubana, adding: “I’m angry about it. Nothing will be off the table in this inquiry.”
Chair Sir Adrian Fulford sitting inside the hearing room at Liverpool Town Hall(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Sir Adrian previously said the inquiry would be split into two phases and the first would analyse Rudakubana’s history and his dealings with relevant agencies, along with any missed opportunities to prevent what happened.
This would include the criminal justice system, his education, his engagement with social and health care services and his relationship with his family.
A second phase, taking place next year, would consider the wider phenomenon of children and young people who are being drawn into extreme violence and what should be done to reverse the “troubling trend”, the chairman said.
He added the first phase of the inquiry will likely to be completed by November.
However, the terms of reference for the second phase have not been settled yet. As such, it is not clear how long it will take yet.
We will be bringing you the latest updates on the inquiry via our live blog coverage.