Southport killer referred to Prevent scheme three times

Axel Rudakubana, the Southport child-killer, was referred to the UK government's Prevent anti-terror scheme three times before his attack, raising serious questions about how authorities managed his case. Initially referred at age 13 due to concerns over his fascination with school massacres, he was again flagged in 2021 after exhibiting violent tendencies and researching terror attacks. Despite these warnings, police concluded he did not pose a terrorism risk and did not escalate the referrals. On July 29, 2024, Rudakubana murdered three young girls during a dance class, prompting an emergency review of Prevent’s handling of his case. Although he pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including murder and attempted murder, police do not classify the attack as terror-related, despite his history of violent obsession. The incident has fueled online conspiracy theories and raised concerns about the effectiveness of the Prevent program in identifying and intervening with at-risk individuals.