Southport killer's brother will not be able to see parts of inquiry

Independent

09-07-2025

The brother of Southport killer Axel Rudakubana will not be able to watch impact evidence from families of his victims at the public inquiry into the attack.
Dion Rudakubana, whose 18-year-old brother was sentenced to a minimum term of 52 years in January, has been recognised as a 'core participant' for the hearing, which opened on Tuesday.
In a ruling, which was published on the inquiry website on July 2, chairman Sir Adrian Fulford said Dion Rudakubana and his legal team would not receive disclosure of material covering what happened from the moment Rudakubana got into a taxi and travelled to Hart Street to carry out the attack on July 29.
He also ruled they would not be able to attend, either in the hearing room or over a video link, when impact evidence and commemorative portraits were given and would not receive advanced disclosure of them.
Rudakubana murdered Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and attempted to murder eight other children and two adults when he launched his attack at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
In his ruling, Sir Adrian said the inquiry would consider the extent to which the threat posed by Rudakubana was appreciated and appropriately handled by members of his immediate family, including his brother.
He said: 'Their influence over him, or the lack of it, along with the steps they did or did not take will be the subject of examination during the hearings in September and October 2025.'
The inquiry chairman said it was not 'credibly suggested' that Dion Rudakubana had any involvement in the attack.
A number of parents of the child victims and at least one of the adult victims had expressed 'considerable concern' about the possibility of Rudakubana's brother being able to listen to impact evidence and being provided with disclosure of 'highly sensitive materials' relating to the narrative of the attack, Sir Adrian said.
He said 'no adverse inference' should be made concerning Dion Rudakubana's motivation or intent, but the ruling was based on the impacts on victims and their families.
The inquiry heard impact statements from four families on Wednesday and was adjourned until September.