Southport killer’s terror threat referral ‘should have been escalated’

A reappraisal into the handling of the Southport kid slayer nether the Government’s counter-terrorism programme Prevent volition uncover determination was capable grounds to see the teen a panic threat, it has been reported.

Axel Rudakubana was fixed a beingness condemnation with a minimum word of 52 years – 1 of the highest minimum presumption connected grounds – for murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, astatine a Taylor Swift-themed creation people successful Southport connected July 29 past year.

He besides attempted to execution 8 different children, who cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons, arsenic good arsenic people teacher Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.

Three abstracted referrals were made to Prevent astir Rudakubana’s behaviour successful the years earlier the attack, arsenic good arsenic six abstracted calls to police.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had announced a nationalist enquiry volition beryllium held to look astatine immoderate “missed opportunities” to place Rudakubana’s murderous intent and she ordered a “thorough review” of the Prevent referrals.

According to the Times, the study to beryllium published connected Wednesday has concluded counter-terrorism officers were incorrect to not escalate his lawsuit arsenic a imaginable panic threat.

It besides recovered determination was capable grounds for Prevent officers to notation Rudakubana to the adjacent signifier of the scheme, called Channel, which aims to divert individuals from being radicalised.

Ms Cooper told the Times: “What that [the report] concluded was that successful this case, helium should person been referred to the Channel programme… that excessively overmuch absorption was placed connected the deficiency of ideology.

“Not capable absorption was besides fixed to the issues astir the information that determination were 3 antithetic referrals. And it already does include, successful the Prevent guidance, the request to look astatine cases where, for example, determination is an obsession with a schoolhouse massacre oregon utmost violence.

“Clearly successful this case, though the reviews concluded that Rudakubana should person been referred to Channel, helium wasn’t. And it raises wider questions for the Prevent programme astir the mode successful which it deals with… immoderate of the cases wherever determination is mixed oregon unclear ideology.”

It is presently voluntary to instrumentality portion successful the Prevent and Channel programmes, but Ms Cooper told the Times the Government volition present caller panic orders for young radical who garbage to prosecute with them arsenic portion of the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill.

Children arsenic young arsenic 10 could beryllium restricted from utilizing the net nether the caller younker diversion orders, oregon look a good and assemblage condemnation of up to six months, the Times reported.

Others aged 18-21 volition look up to 2 years successful situation for breaching the order, it added.

The Home Secretary besides told the insubstantial plans to prohibition room knives with a pointed extremity being advocated by histrion and campaigner Idris Elba were besides being considered successful a bid to tackle weapon crime.

Ms Cooper said: “We are looking astatine the constituent that Idris Elba has made… we volition look astatine immoderate contented that mightiness marque children safer.

“This is an contented that Idris has raised. It’s besides an contented [raised by] surgeons who person dealt with weapon crime. Victims person besides raised this arsenic good successful the past. So that’s wherefore we are looking astatine it.”