The Brother of Southport Killer Excluded from Impact Evidence
The brother of Axel Rudakubana, the man responsible for a tragic attack in Southport, will not be allowed to view impact evidence presented by the families of his victims during the public inquiry. Dion Rudakubana, who is 18 years old, was sentenced to a minimum term of 52 years in January for his role in the incident. He has been designated as a “core participant” in the ongoing inquiry, which began on Tuesday.
In a recent ruling published on the inquiry website, Sir Adrian Fulford, the chairman, stated that Dion Rudakubana and his legal team would not have access to materials detailing the events that led up to the attack. This includes information about the moment Rudakubana entered a taxi and traveled to Hart Street to carry out the attack on July 29.
Furthermore, Dion Rudakubana will not be permitted to attend the hearings when impact evidence and commemorative portraits are presented, either in person or via video link. He will also not receive advance disclosure of these materials.
Rudakubana was responsible for the deaths of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, all young children. He also attempted to kill eight other children and two adults during the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. The inquiry aims to examine the extent to which the threat posed by Rudakubana was recognized and appropriately managed by his immediate family, including his brother.
Sir Adrian emphasized that the inquiry will explore the influence of the family members over Rudakubana, or the lack thereof, and the actions they took or failed to take. These matters will be discussed during the hearings scheduled for September and October 2025.
The inquiry chairman clarified that there is no credible suggestion that Dion Rudakubana was involved in the attack. However, several parents of the child victims and at least one adult victim expressed significant concerns about the possibility of Rudakubana’s brother being able to hear impact evidence and accessing highly sensitive materials related to the narrative of the attack.
Sir Adrian noted that no adverse inference should be drawn about Dion Rudakubana’s motivations or intentions. The decision was made based on the potential impact on the victims and their families.
During the latest session of the inquiry, impact statements from four families were heard on Wednesday. The hearing was then adjourned until September, with further sessions planned to continue the examination of the case.
