On January 20, 2025, the trial of 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana will begin. He is accused of murdering three girls in the northern English town of Southport in July 2024. This incident led to widespread riots across the country, according to Reuters.
Rudakubana is charged with the brutal murder of six-year-old Bibi King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stencomb, and nine-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar during a stabbing attack at a children’s dance event celebrating Taylor Swift’s music.
Additionally, Rudakubana faces charges of ten counts of attempted murder, the manufacture of ricin poison, and the possession of materials linked to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda.
The trial will last between four and six weeks. The judge told Rudakubana’s lawyer that no decisions in his favor would be made.
In late July 2024, when he was 17, Rudakubana attacked children and adults with a knife during a dance class in Southport. As a result of the attack, three girls were killed, and eight children and two adults were injured by the knife.
Almost 400 people were arrested in connection with the riots. In October 2024, he was charged with terrorism-related offenses.
On December 18, Rudakubana pleaded not guilty to the murder of the three girls.
