Southport killer stopped engaging with mental health team, NHS trust says

Southport slayer Axel Rudakubana was nether the attraction of an NHS intelligence wellness work for astir 4 years earlier helium "stopped engaging", a infirmary spot has said.

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust confirmed helium had been nether their attraction betwixt 2019 and 2023.

Rudakubana, who was 17 astatine the clip of the attack, was jailed for 52 years for the "sadistic" murders of 3 young girls, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine.

A spokesperson for Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust said it "welcomed an autarkic nationalist inquiry" into the failures to place the hazard posed by the teenager.

The connection added that Rudakubana had stopped engaging with the work successful February 2023, contempt continued offers of support.

The spokesperson added: "Following the unspeakable incidental past July, we are participating afloat successful a children's safeguarding signifier reappraisal commissioned by the Children's Safeguarding Partnership, to place if immoderate learnings could beryllium made."

The spot said it would "welcome the announcement of an autarkic nationalist enquiry and volition afloat co-operate and enactment that process".

"We are not successful a presumption to supply immoderate further details that could perchance prejudice that enquiry and volition beryllium making nary further remark astatine this time," they added.

The spot said its thoughts remained with the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie and each those affected by the events of 29 July.

On Thursday Rudakubana was sentenced to jailhouse with a minimum word of 52 years for 3 counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, 1 of producing the biologic toxin ricin and 1 of possession of an Al Qaeda grooming manual, an offence nether the Terrorism Act.

Calls for an enquiry into the Southport killings person besides been supported by the families of 3 men murdered successful Reading, Berkshire.

The 3 men were stabbed to decease by Khairi Saadallah successful Forbury Gardens, Reading, successful June 2020.

The families of James Furlong, David Wails and Joe Ritchie-Bennett said they feared lessons had not been learned and were demanding much authorities action.

Saadallah and Rudakubana had some been referred to the government's anti-extremism Prevent programme.

The BBC has approached the Home Office and Department for Health and Social Care for comment.