Southport attacker 'targeted us because we were vulnerable and easy prey,' admits dance teacher Leanne Lucas

23 January 2025, 15:19 | Updated: 23 January 2025, 15:41

A dance teacher who survived the Southport stabbings has spoken of the "trauma" of the attack, explaining that Axel Rudakubana "targeted us because we were vulnerable and easy prey".

Reading her victim impact statement at Liverpool Crown Court via videolink on Thursday, Ms Lucas, 35, described the "horrendous" aftermath of the attacks.

The tragic attack carried out by Rudakubana claimed the lives of three of those taking part: Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Bebe King, 6 and Alice Aguiar, 9.

Reflecting on those who lost their lives during the July 29 attack, she emotionally told the court during sentencing: "I'm surviving for you".

The yoga teacher was overseeing the Taylor Swift-themed dance class at the Hart Space in Southport on the day of the attack.

She was injured whilst attempting to shield young girls in the bathroom of the dance space, with Ms Lucas explaining: "There was a long period of time after the incident where I felt I had no trust in society."

Ms Lucas told the court: "The trauma of being both a victim and a witness has been horrendous.

"There are times when I will spiral into trauma and the effect this has had on those close to me is unforgivable.

"The impact this has had on me can be summed up by one word: trauma. He targeted us because we were women and girls, vulnerable and easy prey."

Read more: Southport killer Axel Rudakubana told police 'I'm so glad they're dead' after murdering three girls

Read more: ‘I lost faith in the world’: Teacher of Southport dance class where three girls were killed speaks for the first time

Axel Rudakubana, 18, from Lancashire, has been charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder, possession of a knife, production of a biological toxin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Appearing in court for sentencing on Thursday, he was ordered out the courtroom on two separate occasions for disrupting proceedings - in one instance, demanding to be seen by paramedics.

During her victim impact statement, the 35-year-old dance teacher admitted: "To discover that he had always set out to hurt the vulnerable is beyond comprehensible," she continued.

Adding: "For Alice, Elsie, Bebe... and the surviving girls, I'm surviving for you."

"I am trying to see the goodness in the world, however the badness has been evidentially proven to me to exist, in plain sight, on our doorsteps, in our community," she told the court on Thursday.

"You never think this is going to happen to you, I never thought this was going to happen to me and now my mindset has been altered to it could happen to you and it will probably happen to you.

"I feel that I have lost the ability to accept people now as they are," she said concluding her emotional statement.

"I worked with teenagers, I never would have considered that they would hurt me or hurt younger children."

Unrest following the attack saw Merseyside Police make 151 arrests, with 107 people charged and 82 sentenced to a total of 172 years and seven months in prison, so far.

Nationally, the total number of arrest in connection with the riots continues to edge towards 2,000.