Southport killer Axel Rudakubana 52-year jail term to be reviewed as families share pain and anger: latest

Home secretary Yvette Cooper said Axel Rudakubana’s “truly horrendous, cowardly and evil crimes” had horrified the UK as she repeated pledges to ensure lessons were learnt from the horror.

“The whole country has been horrified beyond words by these truly horrendous, cowardly and evil crimes,” she said.

“We will always remember Bebe, Elsie and Alice, and the happiness they brought to their families in their short lives.

“And we will remember too the strength and bravery shown by the survivors of this horrific attack, and the astounding courage of those who rushed towards danger and undoubtedly saved many more lives.

“The police and emergency services who responded that day deserve our eternal gratitude, and we thank too the investigators and prosecutors who have worked so hard for justice, and Mr Justice Goose for presiding over these hugely difficult proceedings.

“We have vowed to get the answers the country deserves about how this horror was allowed to happen and to ensure that lessons are learnt.

“I will set out further details of the independent public inquiry soon, but for today all our thoughts are with the families enduring this unimaginable pain, and the example of strength and courage they have provided to us all.”

A parent of one of the children who survived the attack said Rudakubana’s crimes were so horrific he should “rot in jail” and the “law needs changing”.

“Life should mean life,” the father told The Sun. “He’s an adult and should be tried like one.”

Rudakubana will have to serve the minimum term of his sentence, which will be subject to a review by the Parole Board before he could ever be considered for release.

Taking into account the 175 days he has already served on remand, the court heard this meant he will be required to serve 51 years and 190 days before this can happen.

Southport killer Axel Rudakubana’s 52-year jail term is set to be reviewed after concerns were raised it was unduly lenient.

The 18-year-old was jailed for life after murdering three young girls and stabbing several others in an act of “extreme violence” at a Taylor Swift themed dance class.

He was sentenced in absence after failing to return to the dock, and will now spend decades behind bars for “the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious crime”.

Rudakubana avoided a whole life tariff – which would ensure he could never leave prison – because he was nine days shy of being 18 when he committed the atrocity.

Southport’s Labour MP Patrick Hurley has now asked the Attorney General to review the sentence as “unduly lenient”.

Attorney General Lord Hermer and Solicitor General Lucy Rigby now have 28 days to decide whether to refer the sentence to the Court of Appeal.

Reform called for Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson to resign. Party leader Nigel Farage said: “The judge made clear in his sentencing that Alex Rudakubana had a detailed interest in genocides and massacres, and that he was in possession of an al Qaida manual.

“This barbaric and senseless attack was clearly both political and ideological. Many crimes of much less severity have been declared as terrorism within 24 hours of the incident taking place.

“The British public needs to have confidence in the CPS and our police forces. Tens of millions of British citizens will find it incomprehensible how the CPS decided this was a non-terror incident and maintained that position.

“Those in positions of power have to be accountable and responsible for their actions. Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions at CPS, should now do the right thing and resign for CPS’ negligence in this case.”

The Southport killer’s record-high 52-year sentence will be reviewed amid criticism it was not long enough after mounting calls for law changes to see child criminals like him die in jail.

Axel Rudakubana was handed one of the highest minimum custody terms on record after carrying out the sadistic attack at a Taylor Swift-themed class in July aged 17.

Southport’s Labour MP Patrick Hurley said the sentence was “not severe enough” and he had asked the Attorney General to review the sentence as “unduly lenient”, adding: “We need a sentence that represents the severity of this crime that has terrorised the victims and their families.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who was backed by shadow home secretary Chris Philp in her calls, said there was a “strong case” for amending the law to allow for whole life orders to be imposed on people aged under 18 in some cases, which the Conservatives “will start to explore”.