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THE FATHER OF SOUTHPORT ATTACKER AXEL RUDAKUBANA, 18, REFUSED TO LET A FRIEND VISIT THE FAMILY HOME THE YEAR BEFORE HE MURDERED THREE CHILDREN AT TAYLOR SWIFT DANCE CLASS, NEW REPORTS SAY
16:26, 27 Jan 2025Updated 16:27, 27 Jan 2025 Axel Rudakubana's dad did not let a family friend visit him the year before the Southport attack and spoke of the "challenges" of
raising children, it has been claimed. Rudakubana, 18, was jailed for a minimum of 52 years last week for the murder of three girls who were attending a Taylor Swift dance event in the
seaside town in July. Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and six-year-old Bebe King died from their injuries after he entered the Hart Space dance studio and stabbed
"as many people as he could" before they could escape. The teenager then ran outside and knifed the children in the back as they tried to get away. Rudakubana was also convicted of
the attempted murder of 10 other people including 8 children, as well as the production of ricin and possession of an Al-Qaeda training manual. READ MORE: 'My go-to shampoo gets me the
longest time between washes and leaves my hair clean and fresh' His family did not appear in court for his trial, and have been moved to a secret location by police for their own
protection, members of the church once attended by father Alphonse Rudakubana said. Now, sources in Rwanda - where both of Axel Rudakubana's parents moved to Britain from - have claimed
that they rarely spoke of their children on visits home. Rudakubana's own grandmother has said she never the 18-year-old, and was aware that he suffered from mental health problems.
Article continues below Rudakubana's parents also appeared reluctant to allow friends around the family back in England. One friend who went for a coffee with Alphonse in June 2023
after being denied a visit to the family home said he was "vague" about his family in conversation, and mentioned "challenges" involved in raising his children. According
to the Times, the friend said: "When I asked if they ever visited Rwanda, he hesitated. Brushing off the question with a wave of his hand and saying, ‘We’ll think about it when there
are fewer challenges with the kids". Article continues below It has emerged since his conviction that despite repeated warnings about his growing obsession with extreme violence as
early as 2019, the Prevent counter-extremism scheme concluded Rudakubana posed no threat, allowing him to remain unsupervised. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has called for “urgent
reforms” following the missed opportunities to act in Rudakubana’s case. On Monday, Downing Street confirmed it is engaging with the families of the Southport attack victims ahead of a
review into the Prevent scheme's dealings with Axel Rudakubana. Asked whether the review will be published this week, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Monday:
"You'll recognise that the families of the victims of the terrible attack have a significant amount to absorb after such a traumatic week. "We're fully committed to
publishing the findings from the Prevent learning review as soon as possible, but we're taking time to engage with the families, to consider their views".