Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said Britain will “rightly demand answers” over how the government “failed” to protect the three young girls killed in the Southport attack.

Sir Keir said: “Our thoughts are with the families of Beking, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar – and the families of all those affected – who will be spared the ordeal of a long trial.

“Welcome the news that Southport’s sick and wicked murderer will be convicted.

“This is a traumatic moment for the nation and serious questions must be asked about how the government has failed in its ultimate duty to protect these young girls,” he added.

“Britain will rightly demand answers. And we will leave no stone unturned in this pursuit.

“At the center of this horrific event, there is still family and community grief that is raw. A pain that even justice can never truly heal.

“Although no words can express the depth of that pain today, I want the families to know that our thoughts are with them and everyone in Southport affected by this brutal crime. The whole nation is sad with them.”

Nigel Farage has said that UK Reform will require Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to appear in Parliament and explain why Axel Rudakobana’s terrorist links were not revealed sooner.

Mr Farage told the PA news agency: “I asked this question 24 hours after the murder. I said why are they not telling us the truth? Was this man known to the authorities? We were met with a complete wall of silence. The Prime Minister and the Minister The country refused to interact, the Liverpool police refused to interact.

“There was nothing in what I asked that was in any way a threat to bring the court into contempt. This is basic information that the public was entitled to have.

“I was accused by mainstream media outlets and senior politicians of inciting and encouraging riots, when in fact these riots were happening because of the information vacuum and crazy conspiracy theories that were gaining traction online.”

He added: I think the government is responsible for the most amazing cover-up. “I think we need an apology from the Home Secretary and an explanation as to why we have rejected the basic truth.”

Asked if he would raise the issue in the House of Commons, Mr Farage replied: “We will, as a party, raise an urgent question on this. Absolutely.”

Nearly 450 people have been convicted in connection with the riots and disorder that broke out in parts of the country after Axel Rudakobana’s knife attack at a Southport dance studio on July 29, 2024, which left three girls dead. are

How many people have been sent to prison?

• A total of 385 of the 446 people, including two under the age of 18, received immediate arrest warrants.
• Of the other 61 people, 16 were sentenced to suspended prison terms. 32 (all under 18) received referral orders. Two people were fined and four received community orders. Four people (all under the age of 18) received arrest and training orders. Two people were referred to the Youth Offenders Board. And one person was sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work.

What are the longest prison sentences ever?

• The longest is nine years, which has been awarded to two people.
• The average is 25 months.

What is the most common crime that people have been convicted of?

• Violent disorder About 369 of the 446 people who were convicted were charged with violent disorder, either alone or in conjunction with other charges.
• Other charges that have resulted in prison sentences include assaulting emergency workers, possessing a knife or sharp object in a public place, publishing written material intended to incite racial hatred, and causing intentional racial harassment.

Which police forces have the most number of convicts?

• Four police forces together account for more than half of all convictions: Merseyside (94 or 21 per cent of the total), South Yorkshire (80 or 18 per cent), Cleveland (41 or 9 per cent) and Avon and Somerset (40). . or 9 percent.
• The next highest forces are Humberside (26 or 6%). Devon and Cornwall (22.5%); Greater Manchester (21, 5%) and Staffordshire (20, 4%).

Axel Rudakobana was referred to the government’s counter-terrorism program several times before the attack due to concerns about the consolidation of violence. Independent understands

Southport’s case has never been considered terrorism-related by police, as he does not appear to have subscribed to ideologies such as Islamism or racial hatred, and instead appears to have been motivated by an interest in extreme violence. .

“It is clear that this was a young man with a penchant for death and violence,” Deputy Crown Prosecutor Ursula Doyle said outside court after Axel Rodakobana’s guilty plea. “He has shown no sign of remorse.”

Axel Rodakobana has pleaded guilty to all the charges against him.

The 18-year-old’s trial at Liverpool Crown Court was expected to last around four weeks and involved a range of evidence, including live witnesses, all heard before a jury.

Now that Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to all charges, this process will no longer be necessary.

However, in such cases, it is common practice for the prosecutor to present the facts of the case to the judge as part of the sentencing hearing, and for the defense attorney to present material in mitigation.

All this takes place in open court so that journalists and the public can hear the full details of the case.

Furthermore, because Rodakobana has pleaded guilty, there is no legal risk of prejudice to the jury, so the police and the Crown Prosecution Service are free to comment on the case and release background information as they see fit. do

Axel Rudakobana is not expected to serve a life sentence for the Southport attacks on Thursday.

Life imprisonment is the sentence reserved for the most serious crimes, which means that the prisoners will die in prison. They are never considered for release unless there are exceptional compassionate reasons to warrant it.

But it is understood that judges can only consider life sentences for criminals who were 21 years of age or older at the time of the crime, with sentences only for those aged 18 to 20 in exceptional circumstances.

Rudakobana was 17 when he murdered three girls and tried to kill several others at a dance class in Southport in July.

My colleague Albert Toth reports:

The father of a teenager who killed three girls at a dance class in Southport stopped his son from taking a taxi to the school he was expelled from just a week before the attack.

Axel Rodakobana, 18, was permanently expelled from high school for allegedly carrying a knife and later returned for attacking someone with a hockey stick.

Neighbors described the family as unremarkable, but it can now be reported that teachers had concerns about his behavior since he entered Year 9.

Rudakobana was expelled from Range High School in Formby in around 2019 after he told Childline he had been racially bullied and brought a knife to school to protect himself.

It is not known if he was bullied or if he brought a weapon to school while he was a student.

After the suspension, he returned to school and attacked someone with a hockey stick, the intended target being a former bully or someone who complained about him.

It is understood that Rudakubana then attended two specialist schools, Acorns School in Lancashire and Pressfield High and Specialist College in Southport, and teachers were concerned about his behaviour.

It is known that his presence in Pressfield was less than 1%.

Just a week before going to dance class at Hart’s Space, she booked a taxi to take her to Range High School, but her father talked her out of going.

Rudakobana moved to Banks from Cardiff with his parents and older brother about a decade ago.

The family lived in a three-bedroom house with a middle terrace in a newly built cul-de-sac with dozens of properties.

A local source said the killer did not mix with others, the family was unremarkable and there were no signs of wrongdoing.

Nobody knows them. One of the neighbors said: Only the father who went to work.

In 2018, Rudakobana appeared in a Doctor Who-themed advert for BBC Children In Need.

The deleted clip shows him leaving the TARDIS in a suit and tie to look like former show star David Tennant.