London – A British teenager pleaded guilty on Monday to murdering three girls and trying to kill 10 others in what a prosecutor said was “carefully planned”. stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England last summer. Axel Rudakubana18, entered the surprise plea as jury selection was expected to begin at the start of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
The July 29 stabbing sent shockwaves across the UK and led to a week of widespread unrest in parts of England and Northern Ireland after the suspect was falsely identified as an asylum seeker who had recently arrived in Britain by boat. He was actually born in Wales.
The rampage happened on the first day of summer vacation when the little girls at the Hart Space, a hidden facility behind a row of houses, were in class to learn yoga and dance to Taylor Swift songs. What was supposed to be a day of joy turned into terror and heartbreak when knife-wielding Rudakubana entered and began stabbing the girls and their teacher in the seaside town of Southport in western the north of England.
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“This was an unstoppable attack – one that left a lasting mark on our community and the country for its brutality and senselessness,” said Assistant Crown Prosecutor Ursula Doyle. “A day that should have been one of carefree innocence; of children enjoying a dance workshop and making friendship bracelets, became a scene of the darkest horror when Axel Rudakubana went on the rampage.” a was carefully planned.
Prosecutors have not said what they believe led Rudakubana – who was days shy of his 18th birthday – to commit the atrocities, but Doyle said it was clear that “interest sick and steadfast in death and violence.”
Rudakubana had consistently refused to speak in court and did so again when asked to identify himself at the start of proceedings. But he broke his silence when he read the 16-count indictment and asked him to enter a plea, pleading “guilty” to each charge.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and additional charges relating to possession of the poison ricin and possession of an al-Qaeda handbook.
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Rudakubana faces life in prison when he is sentenced on Thursday, Judge Julian Goose said.
Defense attorney Stanley Reiz said he would provide the judge with information about Rudakubana's mental health that could be relevant to his sentence.
The victims and family members of those killed were absent in court as they were scheduled to appear Tuesday for opening statements.
Goose asked the prosecutor to apologize on his behalf for not being present to hear Rudakubana plead guilty.
He pleaded guilty to murdering Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6.
Eight other girls, aged between 7 and 13, were injured, along with teacher Leanne Lucas and Jonathan Hayes, who worked in a business next door and intervened. Fifteen other girls, as young as 5, were in the class but were not hurt. Under court order, none of the remaining girls can be named.
King Charles III and Taylor Swift they met separately with some of the victims' families after the attack.
Police said the stabbings were not classified as acts of terrorism because the motive was unknown.
A few months after his arrest at the scene of the crime, Rudakubana was indicted on additional counts of producing a biological toxin, ricin and possessing information that it could be useful for a person who was doing or preparing for a terrorist act to have the manual. in a document on his computer.
The police said they found the evidence while searching his family's home in a nearby village.
The day after the murders – and shortly after a peaceful vigil for the victims – a violent mob attacked a mosque near the scene of the crime and pelted police officers with bricks and bottles and drove police vehicles into fire
Riots then spread to dozens of other cities over the next week as groups made up mostly of men posted by far-right activists on social media clashed with police at protests. violent and attacked hotels where migrants were staying.
More than 1,200 people were arrested for the disorder and hundreds were jailed for up to nine years in prison.
