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Southport families 'extremely alarmed' boy who wanted to copy stabbings avoided prison sentence
The teenager was twice referred to the Government's Prevent programme but avoided custody, receiving a three-year rehabilitation and behaviour order, prompting family calls for accountability.
- Last week, Liverpool Crown Court sentenced a 17-year-old boy to a three-year youth rehabilitation order and a three-year criminal behaviour order, avoiding custody after pleading guilty to four counts of possessing information likely to be useful to a person planning or committing an act of terrorism.
- Having idolised Axel Rudakubana, the teenager told police on August 6 last year he wanted to re-enact the Southport attack, collecting four knives and buying a green hoodie.
- Twice referred to Prevent, including a school referral in 2021 and a May 2025 referral, a panel concluded autism, not ideology, drove his behaviour; custody recordings showed violent intentions.
- Demanding accountability, the Southport families said they were 'extremely alarmed' that the teenager who wanted to copy the attack was not jailed, echoing Chris Walker’s concerns over repeated agency failures.
- Sir Adrian Fulford, Southport Inquiry chairman, is expected to publish the first-phase report next month, while the Prime Minister said institutional failings 'leap off the page' amid renewed scrutiny.
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Great Yorkshire RadioSouthport families 'extremely alarmed' boy who wanted to copy stabbings avoided prison sentence
The families of the three girls killed in the Southport stabbings say they are "extremely alarmed" that a teenager who wanted to copy the attack was not imprisoned.
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Southport families express alarm after ‘copycat’ teenager avoids custody
The court heard the boy described Rudakubana as a ‘hero’ with similar interests in ‘genocides and that’. The families of three girls killed in the Southport stabbings have said they were “extremely alarmed” after a teenager who wanted to carry out a copycat attack avoided a jail sentence. Axel Rudakubana was 17 when he murdered Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, six-year-old Bebe King and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar in a knife attack at a Taylo…
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Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left, 50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left, 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 50%
C 50%
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