Home Secretary vows to fix ‘fundamental failings’ found after Southport killings

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Shabana Mahmood made the comments as she confirmed the Government accepted the recommendations from the first phase of the Southport Inquiry in full.

The probe found the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, “could and should have been prevented”, if public bodies had taken steps to stop Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 when he launched the attack on the dance class in July 2024.

Inquiry chairman Sir Adrian Fulford said there was a “fundamental failure” by any organisation, or multi-agency arrangement, to take ownership of the risk Rudakubana posed in the years leading up to his attack.

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The Government published its response to the findings of the first phase of the inquiry on Thursday.

The Home Secretary said: “The Southport Inquiry identified fundamental failings, across many of our public services, in the years leading up to July 2024. These devastating failures led to the senseless killing of three young girls and violent attacks on others.

“My thoughts today are first and foremost with the families and friends of Bebe, Elsie and Alice and all the victims of that awful day. We owe it to them to right these wrongs.

“For that reason, we have accepted Sir Adrian’s recommendations for central Government in full. My department will now drive this work across Government, with the urgency it deserves.

“We will do whatever is needed to protect the public.”