Latest news with #SouthportAttack


Sky News
09-07-2025
- Sky News
Southport attack: Mother saw CCTV of daughter being 'dragged back into building' - before being stabbed 20 more times
The mother of a girl who escaped the Southport attack before being dragged back inside has told how her daughter is still fighting to survive. Axel Rudakubana, 18, stabbed the girl, referred to as C1 at the public inquiry, a total of 33 times at a Taylor Swift-themed class in the Merseyside seaside town on 29 July last year. She was one of eight children injured, while Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were murdered in what chairman Sir Adrian Fulford called "one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history". The girl, then seven, ran out of the Hart Space building after being attacked, but Rudakubana was seen dragging her back inside in CCTV footage played during his sentencing hearing, which drew gasps in court, before she was stabbed 20 more times. Reading an emotional statement at Liverpool Town Hall on Wednesday, her mother said: "That is how she became known in this nightmare. The girl that was dragged back in." She thanked the teachers who escaped to call police and flag down help but said "the most painful of truths for" her and the girl's father "is that there were no adults to help during both of her attacks". "She was only supported by other children. The courage and strength she found leaves me crushed, but in complete awe," she said. The mother told the inquiry she wanted to tell her "beautiful, articulate, fun-loving" little girl's story, adding: "I want to tell you of her bravery and strength and how hard she is fighting, still now to survive." She added: "It is these untold stories of remarkable strength and bravery that are missing when we have heard other accounts of this day." The mother said the "hours and days that followed the attack were a living hell" and her daughter's memories - including a concert of her "idol" Taylor Swift - have "been forfeited to make space for the trauma that she carries". 4:06 "We tell her she was brave. How proud we are that she was able to help other girls. How her strength makes us feel strong. How important what she did that day was. She is her own hero. She may be a survivor of this attack, but she is still trying to survive this, every single day," she said. The surviving victims and their families have been granted anonymity during the inquiry, while the chairman has asked media not to use Rudakubana's police mugshot to avoid distressing them. 'She is our hero' The father of a girl referred to as C3 told how his daughter was the first to escape the scene by running from the building and hiding behind a parked car before jumping through an open car door. "Our nine-year-old daughter was stabbed three times in the back by a coward she didn't even see," he said. "Although she didn't know what was happening - she knew she had to run. She ran out of the studio door, down the stairs, and out of the building." He said she can be seen "looking scared, confused and pained" in CCTV footage of the incident, adding: "It was troubling for us to see what she had to go through, before either of her parents had arrived at the scene." "We are so thankful and proud that despite being critically injured, she was able to make the decisions she did in that terrible moment," he said. The girl's father said his daughter "continues to astound" them with the way she dealt with the attack and her recovery, saying: "It has been inspiring for us to witness." He said she has difficulty sleeping, experiences flashbacks, looks over her shoulder scanning for potential danger when she leaves the house, has a fear of loud noises and has to turn off some songs when they come on the radio. "Our daughter knows that she is loved," he said. "It is through this support and love that she will continue to thrive. We couldn't be prouder of her. She is our hero." Attack 'changed everything' The mother of a girl referred to as C8 said she was "like any other seven-year-old little girl", "with an incredible energy" and "full of life". But in a statement read out by a legal representative, she said the attack last year "changed everything" when she got a "panicked phone call" from a friend's mother, who couldn't find the girls. "That moment, the sound of fear in her voice and the panic I felt will never leave me," she said. "I rushed to the scene and what I saw is something no parent should ever see. My daughter had sustained serious physical injuries including a stab wound to her arm and a cut to her face and chin." 2:02 She said her daughter "remembers the attack vividly" and later told her "she thought it had to be fake, because she couldn't believe something that terrible could really be happening". "Where she was once eager to go off with her friends, she now needs my support if it is somewhere public or unknown," she said. "Simple days out now need a level of safety planning that we would never have considered before." 'Constant flashbacks' The mother of a girl referred to as Q, who was one of 15 children who escaped without physical injuries, told how she arrived to collect her daughter to find "children running from the building, screaming and fearing for their lives". In a statement read to the inquiry by a legal representative on her behalf, she said it was "the most horrific experience of my life". "What I saw on that day will stick with me forever, I constantly have flashbacks and relive what happened," she said. She said her daughter has become "very withdrawn" since the attack and has asked her parents, "How will I ever be normal again?" Rudakubana was jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January and is being investigated over an alleged attack on a prison officer at Belmarsh prison in May. The public inquiry, announced by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in January, is looking into whether the attack could or should have been prevented, given what was known about the killer. Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff, had contact with police, the courts, the youth justice system, social services and mental health services, and was referred to the government's anti-extremism Prevent scheme three times before the murders. A rapid review into his contact with Prevent found his case should have been kept open and that he should have been referred to Channel, another anti-terror scheme. C1's mother said: "She deserves the truth, she deserves accountability. She deserves an apology. Our girls deserve an apology.


The Sun
09-07-2025
- The Sun
Girl injured in Southport attack asks ‘how will I be normal again?' as parents reveal torment at inquiry into tragedy
A YOUNG girl injured in the Southport attack still asks "how will I ever be normal again", her heartbroken mum told a public inquiry today. Triple killer Axel Rudakubana launched into a savage knife attack at a Taylor Swift dance class last summer. 5 5 The 18-year-old murdered Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and injured other children in the horror. A public inquiry will now look at whether the attack could or should have been prevented given what was known about the killer. Today, the parents of children injured in the July 29 massacre opened up on their torment almost a year on. One mum whose daughter was attacked said her daughter became "very withdrawn, emotional and had so many worries" after witnessing the horror. She asks still: "How will I ever be normal again?" Her mum said arriving to collect her daughter on that day and seeing screaming children from the building was "the most horrific experience of my life". She told how the girl, referred to only as Child Q, is now anxious about not being with her parents and is still scared when she hears a siren. She continued: "She is still unable to sleep alone and struggles with falling asleep. She always asks for doors to be closed when we enter or leave a room, this helps her to feel safe. "Changes have also been made at school; she now sits where she can see the door so she can always be aware of who is entering the classroom. "On a few occasions she has been unable to attend school due to her anxiety, explaining this as her tummy feels funny and hiding under the dining table at home.' The dad of one of the girls, named as C3, told Liverpool Town Hall it was "patently clear that lessons need to be learned from what happened, and processes need to be changed". 5 5 5 Sitting beside the girl's mother in the witness box, he said: "Our nine-year-old daughter was stabbed three times in the back by a coward she didn't even see. "Although she didn't know what was happening - she knew she had to run." Describing his daughter as his "hero", the father said she remained "the positive, caring, funny, enthusiastic, courageous girl she always was". He said: "She wears her scars with a dignity and defiance that is remarkable." One mum, whose seven-year-old daughter C8 was injured, said she was at work when she received a "panicked phone call" from her friend's mum. She told how she rushed to the scene and saw "something no parent should ever see". The mum said her daughter, who suffered injuries to her arm and face, could not be left alone any more and only felt safe with a small number of people. She continued: "I am grateful beyond words that she survived. But what she went through, what she saw and what she continues to carry has changed everything." Another mum sobbed as she told how her daughter and the girls involved deserve the truth, accountability, an apology and the promise changes will be made. She revealed she is "terrified" for her daughter to learn what the inquiry finds as it will be "earth-shattering for her and we will have to begin her recovery again". The mum added: "We are trying to shield her as much as possible whilst we understand this ourselves. "She has every right to ask these questions. This inquiry must answer them." Retired senior judge Sir Adrian Fulford is leading the review, which has now been formally postponed until September. He has made the decision not to name the killer and instead refer to him as AR. In his opening statement, the chairman said Rudakubana's actions were 'almost unimaginable but nonetheless mercilessly calculated'. The inquiry has been split into two phases, with the first focusing on the circumstances leading to the attack and AR's contact with Prevent. Sir Adrian will now examine how young people are "drawn into extreme violence" during the second phase. Following the horror, it emerged the killer had a "sickening interest in death" and had made chilling searches for school massacres before carrying out the rampage. His morbid fascination saw him flagged three times to anti-terror programme Prevent but no further action was taken. What happened in Southport? THE horror unfolded last summer as 26 excited children gathered for the dance class to kick off the summer holidays. The two-hour event had been organised by instructors Leanne Lucas and Heidi Liddle at The Hart Space. Just three miles away, Rudakubana had armed himself with a 20cm knife. Chilling footage showed the killer pacing outside his home before being picked up in a taxi. Just 30 minutes later, he arrived at the community centre as the children sang Taylor Swift songs and made friendship bracelets. Leanne opened a window due to the summer heat and saw the masked teen outside but thought nothing of it. But seconds later, the door opened and Rudakubana stormed into the class and began attacking children and adults at random. Screams rang out as the killer teen systematically made his way through the room stabbing his victims with the black-handled Cerbera kitchen knife. Hero dance teacher Leanne was stabbed in the arms, neck and back as she used her body to shield young girls from the knifeman. She screamed at the children to "run away" Her colleague Heidi Liddle escaped uninjured after bravely locking some of the children inside a toilet. Businessman Jonathan Hayes, who was working in the office next door, was attacked after he ran inside and tried to stop the carnage. At 11.57am - 12 minutes after the rampage began - police stormed the scene. Officers found Rudakubana holding the large, bloodied kitchen knife and he was arrested. After the horror attack, the teen said "I'm glad they're dead" as he was held in a custody suite. As a result, the killer was free to storm the Hart Space community centre and begin senselessly knifing terrified children and adults. A rapid review into his contact with Prevent found his case should have been kept open. It also concluded Rudakubana should have been referred to Channel, another anti-terror scheme. The killer pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and ten of attempted murder. He also admitted two terror offences after police found ricin and an Al-Qaeda manual at his home. Despite this, cops are still not treating the attack as terror-related. He was jailed for life with a minimum of 52 years following the horrific triple murder but will likely never be released.


Sky News
09-07-2025
- Sky News
Parents tell 'untold stories' of how their 'hero' daughters survived Southport attack
The parents of survivors of the Southport attack have revealed the "untold stories" of how their "hero" children escaped. Axel Rudakubana, 18, murdered Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, in what the chairman of the public inquiry Sir Adrian Fulford called "one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history". Eight children were injured along with two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed class in the Merseyside seaside town on 29 July last year, while 15 others escaped without physical injuries. The surviving victims and their families have been granted anonymity during the inquiry, with one girl referred to as C3. Her father was the first to give evidence at Liverpool Town Hall on Wednesday. Reading a statement on behalf of him and his wife, he told how their daughter was the first girl to escape the scene by running from the Hart Space building and hiding behind a parked car before jumping through an open car door. "Our nine-year-old daughter was stabbed three times in the back by a coward she didn't even see," he said. "Although she didn't know what was happening - she knew she had to run. She ran out of the studio door, down the stairs, and out of the building." He said she can be seen "looking scared, confused and pained" in CCTV footage of the incident, adding: "It was troubling for us to see what she had to go through, before either of her parents had arrived at the scene." "We are so thankful and proud that despite being critically injured, she was able to make the decisions she did in that terrible moment, he said. The girl's father said his daughter "continues to astound" her parents with the way she dealt with the attack and her recovery, saying: "It has been inspiring for us to witness." He said she has difficulty sleeping, experiences flashbacks, looks over her shoulder scanning for potential danger when she leaves the house, has a fear of loud noises and has to turn off some songs when they come on the radio. "Our daughter knows that she is loved," he said. "It is through this support and love that she will continue to thrive. We couldn't be prouder of her. She is our hero." Stabbed 33 times The parents of a girl referred to as C1 told how their "beautiful, articulate, fun-loving little girl" was stabbed 33 times. Rudakubana was seen dragging her back into the building in CCTV footage played during his sentencing hearing, which drew gasps in court. "That is how she became known in this nightmare. The girl that was dragged back in," her mother said. She thanked the teachers who escaped to call police and flag down help but said: "The most painful of truths for us though, and what has been most devastating to come to terms with, is that there were no adults to help during both of her attacks. "She was only supported by other children. The courage and strength she found leaves me crushed, but in complete awe." She added: "It is these untold stories of remarkable strength and bravery that are missing when we have heard other accounts of this day." The mother said the "hours and days that followed the attack were a living hell" and her daughter's memories - including a concert of her "idol" Taylor Swift - have "been forfeited to make space for the trauma that she carries". "We tell her she was brave. How proud we are that she was able to help other girls. How her strength makes us feel strong. How important what she did that day was. She is her own hero. She may be a survivor of this attack, but she is still trying to survive this, every single day," she said. Attack 'changed everything' The mother of a girl referred to as C8 said she was "like any other seven-year-old little girl", "with an incredible energy" and "full of life". But in a statement read out by a legal representative, she said the attack last year "changed everything" when she got a "panicked phone call" from a friend's mother, who couldn't find the girls. "That moment, the sound of fear in her voice and the panic I felt will never leave me," she said. "I rushed to the scene and what I saw is something no parent should ever see. My daughter had sustained serious physical injuries including a stab wound to her arm and a cut to her face and chin." She said her daughter "remembers the attack vividly" and later told her "she thought it had to be fake, because she couldn't believe something that terrible could really be happening". "Where she was once eager to go off with her friends, she now needs my support if it is somewhere public or unknown," she said. "Simple days out now need a level of safety planning that we would never have considered before." 'Constant flashbacks' The mother of a girl referred to as Q, who escaped without being physically injured, told how she arrived to collect her daughter to find "children running from the building, screaming and fearing for their lives". In a statement read to the inquiry by a legal representative on her behalf, she said it was "the most horrific experience of my life". "What I saw on that day will stick with me forever, I constantly have flashbacks and relive what happened," she said. She said her daughter has become "very withdrawn" since the attack and has asked her parents, "How will I ever be normal again?" Rudakubana was jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January and is being investigated over an alleged attack on a prison officer at Belmarsh prison in May. The public inquiry, announced by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in January, is looking into whether the attack could or should have been prevented, given what was known about the killer. Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff, had contact with police, the courts, the youth justice system, social services and mental health services, and was referred to the government's anti-extremism Prevent scheme three times before the murders. A rapid review into his contact with Prevent found his case should have been kept open and that he should have been referred to Channel, another anti-terror scheme.


The Independent
09-07-2025
- The Independent
Father of girl injured in Southport attack says she was stabbed by ‘coward'
The father of one of the girls injured in the Southport attack has told an inquiry she was stabbed in the back by a 'coward she didn't see'. On Wednesday, the second day of the public inquiry heard evidence from families of the children who survived the attack, carried out by Axel Rudakubana at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 last year. The father of one of the girls, who was referred to as C3 during the hearing to protect her identity, told the hearing at Liverpool Town Hall it was 'patently clear that lessons need to be learned from what happened, and processes need to be changed'. Sitting beside the girl's mother in the witness box, he said: 'Our nine-year-old daughter was stabbed three times in the back by a coward she didn't even see. 'Although she didn't know what was happening — she knew she had to run. ' He said they had since seen CCTV footage of her running from the building on Hart Street, looking 'scared, confused and pained' and hiding behind a parked car, before jumping to 'relative safety' through an open car door. He added: 'We remain eternally grateful that we were lucky that day, and that the skill of the paramedics, surgeons and medical staff meant we got our little girl back.' Describing his daughter as his 'hero', the father said she remained 'the positive, caring, funny, enthusiastic, courageous girl she always was'. He said: 'She wears her scars with a dignity and defiance that is remarkable.' The mother of another girl who was at the event, referred to as Child Q, said arriving to collect her daughter on that day and seeing screaming children from the building was 'the most horrific experience of my life'. 'To be unaware of what was happening, trying to process it all whilst also being fearful of what could happen next – it's an unexplainable feeling,' she said. 'What I saw on that day will stick with me forever, I constantly have flashbacks and re-live what happened.' The statement, read by the family's legal representative, said Child Q was 'an anxious little girl' who had taken 'significant step' by attending the event as she often struggled socially outside school. The girl's mother said: 'Although physically unharmed, she has struggled with the psychological impact of the trauma and to this day has been unable to talk to us about what happened and what she witnessed. 'Our daughter became very withdrawn, emotional and had so many worries. In her words, due to what she witnessed, 'How will I ever be normal again'? 'She is even more anxious about not being with us or being dropped off at another event without us. 'She is scared when she hears a siren or sees an emergency vehicle. Q is still unable to sleep alone and struggles with falling asleep. 'She always asks for doors to be closed when we enter or leave a room, this helps her to feel safe.' Child Q's mother said her daughter now has to sit where she can see the door at school so she can always be aware of who is entering the classroom, and is sometimes unable to attend school altogether due to her anxiety. She added: 'We will always do everything we can to make sure that what happened doesn't control our lives or take away our joy. 'Our daughter is a strong, brave and beautiful little girl who has so much love and support around her to get her through the tough days. 'As her parents all we want is for her to feel safe, loved and to enjoy her childhood and we will do everything we can to make this happen.' A statement was read on behalf of the mother of a seven-year-old girl referred to as C8. Her mother described her daughter as having an 'incredible energy', but said the incident in July 'changed everything'. She said she was at work on July 29 when she received a 'panicked phone call' from her friend's mother. She said: 'That moment, the sound of fear in her voice and the panic I felt will never leave me. 'I rushed to the scene and what I saw is something no parent should ever see.' She said her daughter, who suffered injuries to her arm and face, could not be left alone any more and only felt safe with a small number of people, needing 'constant support, reassurance and protection'. She had 'witnessed horrors that no-one should ever see', she said. She said: 'I am grateful beyond words that she survived. But what she went through, what she saw and what she continues to carry has changed everything.' Counsel to the inquiry Nicholas Moss KC said commemorative and impact evidence from victims and families was the 'first and important part' of the first phase of the public inquiry. Four statements were due to be heard on Wednesday, with more evidence from families expected when hearings resume in September. The inquiry was opened on Tuesday by chairman Sir Adrian Fulford, who described the acts of Rudakubana as 'one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history'. The 18-year-old was given a life sentence in January, with a minimum term of 52 years, for the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. He also attempted to murder eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as well as instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes. In his opening statement, Sir Adrian said Rudakubana 'posed a very serious and significant risk of violent harm, with a particular and known predilection for knife crime'.


Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Daily Mail
'Heroic' nine-year-old girl who was 'stabbed three times in the back' as she ran for her life during Southport attack still suffers flashbacks, inquiry told
The parents of a young girl seriously injured in the Southport attack today described their daughter as their 'hero' for remaining 'positive' despite struggling with the emotional and physical scars of what she had suffered. The mother and father, whose nine-year-old daughter was stabbed three times in the back by Axel Rudakubana, delivered the first of four impact statements on the second day of the public inquiry this morning. The girl's father said that she didn't even see 'coward' Rudakubana but 'knew she had to run.' He said she was the first child out of the Hart Space, where the Taylor-Swift dance club, was being held. 'We have seen the CCTV footage of her, looking scared, confused and pained, as she runs from the building,' he said. 'It was troubling for us to see what she had to go through, before either of her parents had arrived at the scene. 'We are so thankful and proud that despite being critically injured she was able to make the decisions she did in that terrible moment.' Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, all died in the atrocity. Eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes were also seriously injured, while another 16 children at the club also suffered significant psychological trauma. The father said that their daughter, who underwent six hours of emergency surgery for her injuries, still had difficulty going to sleep at night, suffered flashbacks and was scared of loud noises, was always looking 'over her shoulder' scanning for potential danger when she left the house, and even had to turn off particular songs when they came on the radio. He also said that the ripples of the attack had affected every member of their family. 'Life is certainly not like it was before,' he said. 'Some days are good, and others less so. We remain a strong family unit, but dealing with what happened that day has been unbelievably challenging for every member of our family. There is no handbook to navigate what we have had to endure. We continue to lean on each other, and that support continues to get us through our most difficult moments.' But, despite this, he said his daughter had 'astounded' them with the way she had coped over the past 12 months since the attack last July, and her recovery had been 'inspiring to witness.' The father said that he 'couldn't be prouder' of her and they remained determined that the 'trauma' of the attack would not to 'define' her life. 'Despite what she has been through, our daughter remains the positive, caring, funny, enthusiastic, courageous girl she always was,' he added. 'She has no self-pity about what happened to her. She wears her scars with a dignity and defiance that is remarkable. 'She has the skills and personality to do whatever she wants as she grows up. We know that she will continue to press ahead with her positive outlook through life. The award-winning The Trial podcast series on the Southport murders is available now 'Our daughter knows that she is loved - by us her parents, by her wider family, and by the friends who have supported us since that horrendous day. It is through this support and love that she will continue to thrive. We couldn't be prouder of her. She is our hero.' Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 52 years - one of the highest minimum terms on record - after pleading guilty to the three murders and 10 attempted murders, plus other offences, including making the deadly toxin ricin, in January. The mother of another young girl who attended the dance class said her daughter had asked her 'will I ever be normal again' following the horrific attack. Her statement, read by solicitor, Nicola Ryan-Donnelly, revealed the youngster was already an anxious child and had to be encouraged to attend the Taylor Swift-themed event. She said she felt 'proud' that she had decided to go but what she witnessed when she went to collect her, unaware of what was going on, would 'stick with me forever.' 'To witness children running from the building, screaming and fearing for their lives is the most horrific experience of my life,' she said. 'I constantly have flashbacks and re-live what happened.' The mother said that, although physically unharmed, her daughter continued to struggle with the psychological impact of the trauma and was still unable to talk about what she witnessed. She said her daughter had become 'very withdrawn, emotional and had so many worries. 'In her words, 'How will I ever be normal again?' She said she is now anxious about not being with her close family or going to events without them, she is scared when she hears a siren or sees an emergency vehicle, she struggles to fall asleep and is unable to sleep alone. The mother said some days her daughter is too anxious to go to school and hides under the dining table, but when she does, she sits close to the door, so she can always see who is entering the classroom. She said both she and her daughter have undergone therapy, which had helped, but she added: 'Some days continue to feel so difficult, trying to process everything happening around us. 'There were times when I didn't know which way to turn. I am so thankful of the support that we have all have received as a family, not only through my therapy sessions but also from our family, friends and work colleagues, without this support I don't think we would be where we are today.' She said her husband and other child had also been deeply affected by what happened but the family were determined to make sure what happened 'doesn't control our lives or take away our joy.' 'Our daughter is a strong, brave and beautiful little girl who has so much love and support around her to get her through the tough days,' she added. 'As her parents all we want is for her to feel safe, loved and to enjoy her childhood and we will do everything we can to make this happen.' Yesterday Sir Adrian Fulford, who is overseeing the hearings into Axel Rudakubana's killing spree, said he would not be named during the inquiry and instead will be referred to only as the 'perpetrator' or by his initials, AR. He said the decision was for the 'benefit' of the families of his victims, who felt 'understandable sensitivity' around his name. The former vice-president of the Court of Appeal also urged the media not to use the killer's police mugshot, which he said was 'retraumatising' and causing continued 'distress' to the girls who survived. Sir Adrian said Rudakubana perpetrated ' an almost unimaginable but nonetheless mercilessly calculated' killing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed dance club in the Merseyside seaside town last July. The retired judge described the attack as 'one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history.' Sir Adrian said it was 'truly critical' that the inquiry secured answers for the families of Rudakubana's victims and made recommendations to prevent anything similar happening in the future. The hearings will examine why several agencies, including the police, the courts, the NHS and social services, who all had contact with Rudukabana, failed to identify the risk he posed. It will also investigate whether the attack could or should have been prevented. Sir Adrian said that one consideration for the inquiry would be whether courts should be allowed to impose restrictions on people suspected of planning serious violent offences, even if they have not committed any crime. It will look into whether measures, such as imposing curfews, electronic tags, internet bans or restrictions on social media use should be available in such circumstances. Rudakubana watched a huge volume of violent material online and was referred three times to Prevent, the Government's counter extremism programme, in the years prior to the attack. But because he did not have a clear ideology his case was closed prematurely each time. Sir Adrian said the inquiry will examine whether Prevent needs to be overhauled to address those drawn into extreme violence without a clear 'religious or political cause.' The chairman said there appeared to be several 'undisputed and troubling facts' that already suggested Rudakubana's attack was far from being 'an unforeseeable catastrophic event.' By July last year, he had been on the radar of various State agencies for several years, had a 'known predilection for knife crime' and posed a 'very serious and significant risk of violent harm,' Sir Adrian said. 'Furthermore, his ability, unhindered, to access gravely violent material on the internet, to order knives online at a young age, and then to leave home unsupervised to commit the present attack, speaks to a wholesale and general failure to intervene effectively, or indeed at all, to address the risks that he posed,' he added. Police discovered a sinister arsenal of weapons, including a bow and arrow, two machetes, two large kitchen knives, a sledgehammer, materials to make Molotov cocktail explosives and ingredients to make the deadly toxin ricin, at Rudakubana's home following the attack. The widespread rioting and civil unrest following the murders is not being examined by the inquiry. Impact statements from parents of four child survivors will be read to the inquiry today. The hearings will then be adjourned until September, when statements from the remaining relatives of victims and survivors are expected to continue.