Six months after a teenage attacker stabbed three girls to death at a children’s dance class in England, new details about his background have sparked questions about how authorities repeatedly failed to spot the threat he posed.

A teenager who stabbed three young girls to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England has been sentenced to more than 50 years in prison.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced to serve at least 52 years for a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. The sentence means he cannot apply for parole until he is almost 70, and judge Julian Goose said “it is likely he will never be released.

Axel Rudakubana admitted a total of 16 charges, including the three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and one count of possessing a blade.

In this Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook, Southport stabbings suspect Axel Rudakubana appears on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, where he has pleaded guilty to killing ...

The 18-year-old’s disruptions meant he was not in court as the judge handed him one of the longest minimum terms on record.

The 18-year-old pleaded guilty to all 16 offences he faced on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday. | ITV News Granada

Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana used a knife that he bought from Amazon when he was still 17 to kill three girls at a dance class in July 2024.

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Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died in the attack in July last year.

Southport child-killer Axel Rudakubana is likely to die in jail after being detained for life with a minimum term of 52 years for the “sadistic” murders of three girls. The 18-year-old was sentenced in his absence at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday after indicating he would be “disruptive” if he was present in the courtroom.

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