Southport killer’s brother ‘to attend inquiry’ after family moved to secret location - as survivors tell their stories
The brother of Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is set 'to leave a secret location' to attend the inquiry - as the families of the young victims described the horrors of the attack.
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As part of the Southport Inquiry, victims' families have described the ‘catastrophic’ injuries sustained by the schoolgirls during Axel Rudakubana's murderous attack in Southport on July 29 last year.
Among those listed as attendees at the two-stage inquiry was Dion Rudakubana, brother of killer Axel Rudakubana.
Witnesses are usually legally represented at such inquiries and are able to ask questions of witnesses in attendence.
Led by Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford from Liverpool Town Hall, the inquiry heard intimate details in several impact statements, with families raising "grave concerns" about the attendance of the killer's brother.
It comes after Axel Rudakubana murdered Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, when he carried out a frenzied knife attack on a Taylor Swift dance class last summer.
Following the incident, which triggered widespread riots across the UK, Dion Rudakubana and his family were "moved to a secret location by police" for their "own protection" - as confirmed by leaders of the church Rudakubana's father attended.
Read more: Father of girl injured in Southport attack says she was stabbed by ‘coward’
The inquiry, announced by the government earlier this year, was set up to look into the knife attack carried out by Axel Rudakubana.
The Southport killer was sentenced to life in jail with a minimum of 52 years following the killings last year.
In a ruling published by the inquiry, Sir Adrian, a retired senior judge, wrote: "These anxieties have been expressed in the strongest terms."
The decision notice explained that Dion's attendance presented an issue - and that a decision now had to be made about his treatment of Dion during the inquiry.
He explained: "A number of the parents of the child victims and at least one of the adult victims have expressed considerable concern over the possibility that DR will be able to listen, either by being in court or via a live link, to the impact statements and commemorative portraits as delivered by members of the families."
"In a similar vein, there is a significant Southport Inquiry concern at the possibility of DR being provided with disclosure of any of the highly sensitive materials relating to the narrative of the attack, its effect on the victims and their families and the evidence concerning the events that occurred thereafter."
The chairman determined that the brother of convicted murderer Rudakubana will now be blocked from attending specific parts of the hearing.
The chairman said he was "unreservedly persuaded" that allowing the killer's brother full access would act as a "major obstacle" for the families.
He added that his decision should not be taken as any criticism of Dion Rudakubana and added that no "adverse inference" should be drawn.
It follows the leaders of The Community Church in Southport attended by Rudakubana's father Alphonse describing the father as a "valued part" of the congregation.
The statement described the family as being "devastated" and claimed "they have been moved by the police, for their protection, from their home in Banks [Lancashire] to a secret location that we are unaware of".