london— Police on Britain's Merseyside said last month that the alleged attacker is now facing terror charges over the July Southport attack that left three girls dead at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. The police force was forced to admit that it was “restricted” from sharing important information. -Related fees.
Axel Mugangwa Rudakubana, 18, faces three existing charges of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and one count of possessing a knife, as well as new charges under the country's terrorism law, authorities announced last week. did. Rudakubana is accused of killing three children in the July 29 stabbings: Alice DaSilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancomb, 7, and Bebe King, 6. He is accused of killing a girl and injuring several others.
According to police, during a search of the suspect's property, he was found to have manufactured the deadly poison ricin and was in possession of al-Qaeda training materials called “Military Study of Jihad Against Tyrants: Al-Qaeda Training Manual.'' Police are not announcing the incident as a terrorist attack because a motive has not been determined, authorities added.
UK stabbing suspect in the murders of three girls found with al-Qaeda drug ricin charged under terrorism laws
Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice DaSilva Aguiar (left to right) were murdered during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event. The teenage suspect faces numerous charges in connection with the killing. (Merseyside Police)
“We have received extensive guidance from CPS. [Crown Prosecution Service] In a statement dispelling criticism, Merseyside Police said: “This relates to what we can say publicly to ensure the integrity of the court process and therefore what we can share with you now that the trial is ongoing. It's limited,” he said. The military said it had “decided not to open things to the public.”
The revelations of terror-related charges sparked an uproar over the secretive and double-standard approach of police and government following a deadly attack in Southport, a town north of Liverpool, in July.
“I think the reason for that was that they didn't want to prejudice the trial. And I think motive will be an important issue in trial, but they didn't want to release information about the suspect that would speak to motive.” ” he said. Toby Young, director of the British Free Speech Federation, told Fox News Digital.
But Young said that if the assailant had been “a far-right white supremacist, the government and authorities would probably have been more aggressive, so there is a certain There is a species double standard,” he added. . ”
On August 2, 2024, anti-immigrant activists held a “Enough is Enough” protest in Sunderland, England. After three girls were murdered in Southport earlier this week, misinformation spread through social media and fueled violent riots by far-right groups across England. Although they prefer to be called “concerned parents,” their actions demonstrate racial hatred and are particularly focused on Islamophobia, thus targeting mosques. (Doric/Getty Images)
The serial killings sparked widespread riots across England, amid speculation about the background of the attackers and the nature of the attacks. In response, several people were charged and jailed over online comments that courts deemed incited to riot.
Last month, Lucy Connolly, the wife of a local Conservative politician, was sentenced to more than 31 months in prison for posting what authorities said were inflammatory posts against asylum seekers on social media.
Wayne O'Rourke, whose X account had more than 90,000 followers, was jailed for three years for claiming Muslims had carried out the Southport attack and instigating the arrest. “You didn't get involved in what other people were doing, you instigated it,” the judge said during sentencing. “The flames are fanned by keyboard warriors like you.”
UK government condemns crackdown on free speech: 'Think before you post'
Residents of the normally “quiet” town of Southport have gone wild against police after at least three girls were killed in a mass stabbing yesterday. (Richard McCarthy/Pennsylvania via AP)
But while police have remained tight-lipped and released only a few details of the incident on the grounds that it would not prejudice the trial, Britain's left-wing prime minister, Keir Starmer, was quick to label the rioters as Far-right.''
Winston Marshall, host of The Winston Marshall Show, told Fox News Digital: “Prime Minister Starmer has threatened to undermine Axel Rudakbana's court proceedings after new charges of possession of Islamist material and ricin were laid. We have taken great care to ensure that this does not happen.”
The British podcaster said: “But we, the British people, have no idea what Starmer did about the August rioters, right before they were sentenced, and before any of them were convicted.'' I distinctly remember how he was branded as a “far-right thug.” It is precisely this action for which he is justly and bitterly ridiculed.” As a “double keel”.
“Keir Starmer did not hesitate to speculate about the motives of those arrested in the riots, as he did not hesitate to call the rioters, some of whom were arrested and detained, far-right. They It also prejudiced the trials of many people, and not all of them pleaded guilty,'' Young said.
“Describing a person who has been arrested and charged but has pleaded not guilty as a criminal may also prejudice the outcome of the trial.It means that the presumption of innocence does not apply to them… …The House of Commons is signaling to potential jurors that the Office of the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary implicitly believe they are guilty.''
Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform Party, has come under fire and accusations of incitement to riot from a cross-party group of Conservative and left-wing leaders who have questioned the withholding of information from the public.
“I just wonder if the truth is being hidden from us. I don't know the answer to that, but I think it's a fair and legitimate question,” Farage said after the attack, adding that the suspect was not known. I asked him further if he had done so. It is monitored by the country's security agencies. Mr Farage also questioned why the incident was not treated as terrorism-related.
UK riots plunge country into worst turmoil in years, PM vows to use 'full force of law'
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer listens to a speech by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves at the Labor Party conference on Monday, September 23, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (AP Photo/John Super)
Neil Basu, the former head of counter-terrorism police from 2018 to 2021, suggested Mr Farage could be the subject of an investigation over the comments, saying he believed the politician “weakened the police”. “They created conspiracy theories, gave rise to false grounds for terrorist attacks,” he said. Police! ”
Tory MP Lord Burwell, who is Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff, criticized Mr Farage for spreading “misinformation” on social media after the attack, calling it “absolutely disgraceful”. did.
“He's a member of Parliament. If he had a question, he could have asked it yesterday in the House of Commons, but he wasn't there. Instead, he's here asking people who are spreading misinformation. I liked to encourage [social media]. That's totally embarrassing. ”
But the latest police statement and new terrorism-related charges have somewhat exonerated critics. “Maybe I was right all along,” Farage said on a program last week. Video posted on X.
man typing on laptop (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
Farage writes: daily telegraph He said he and his party colleagues had been prohibited from asking questions about the Southport attack in parliament during the suspect's trial because of fear of prejudice to the public.
Mr Farage was given permission by authorities to raise the issue in parliament after submitting a written questionnaire to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper asking whether the suspected attacker had ever been involved in the country's counter-terrorism efforts. He said he was informed that it would not be possible.
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“It is impossible to infer anything other than that state machinery is being used to control this situation,” Farage said. “So for now, it appears that no one will be allowed to ask in an appropriate forum when the government first learned that the defendant was to be indicted on ricin and terrorist substance charges.
It added: “Similarly, no one knows if this man was known to the authorities in any way. Do we really want to live in a society where such important information is kept from the public? Who decided that the details should be kept secret?”
Police and prosecutors are still withholding information from the public about whether the alleged attacker was previously known to the country's security and counter-terrorism authorities.
Police later said the suspect was born in Wales to Rwandan parents. British media reported that he was raised as a Christian. A murder trial is tentatively scheduled for January.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
