A teenager charged in connection with the stabbing at a dance class in Southport, England, where three young girls tragically lost their lives and ten others were injured, appeared in court on Wednesday. Axel Rudakubana, 18, remained silent as the court entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.
Rudakubana, who has consistently declined to speak during previous court appearances, faced a litany of charges at Liverpool Crown Court. These include three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, and additional charges related to the possession of the deadly poison ricin and an al-Qaida manual. Justice Julian Goose instructed a clerk to formally record the not guilty pleas as Rudakubana observed the proceedings via video link from a London prison. His trial is set to commence on January 20.
In a departure from his prior court appearances, the teenager did not attempt to conceal his face with his sweatshirt collar. He even appeared to smile as an official confirmed that the court proceedings were audible at the prison. However, Judge Goose noted Rudakubana’s lack of verbal response. Throughout the charge reading, Rudakubana swayed and at one point bent forward.
The charges stem from an incident on July 29 in Southport, a seaside town in northern England, where Rudakubana is accused of murdering Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6. Ten other individuals sustained stabbing injuries during the attack at a dance and yoga studio during summer vacation. The location was reported to be hosting a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at the time of the incident.
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The Southport Stabbing At Dance Class ignited widespread rioting across England and Northern Ireland. Fueled by far-right groups, the unrest persisted for a week. The violence resulted in injuries to over 300 police officers and included arson attacks targeting hotels accommodating migrants. These events were triggered by the initial, inaccurate identification of Rudakubana, then unnamed, as an asylum seeker who had recently arrived in the UK by boat. In fact, Rudakubana was born in Wales to Rwandan immigrants. The ensuing disorder led to over 1,200 arrests, with sentences reaching up to nine years for some individuals.
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A recently released report has criticized the police response to the riots, highlighting a failure to anticipate the potential for large-scale violent disorder following a series of smaller incidents in the UK over the past two years. The report from the Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services also pointed to shortcomings in intelligence gathering from social media platforms and the dark web.
Adding to the severity of the charges, Rudakubana faces additional counts from October related to the production of ricin, a biological toxin, and possession of terrorist material. This latter charge stems from the discovery of an al-Qaida manual on his computer. Despite these charges and the context of the attack, police have not classified the Southport stabbing at dance class as a terrorist act, as the motive behind the attack remains undetermined. The upcoming trial in January is expected to shed further light on the events and the motivations behind this tragic incident.
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