Brother of Southport killer asks if officials could have stopped his sibling going on knife rampage

LIVERPOOL, England — Dion Rudakubana, 21, the brother of the 17-year-old identified in hearings only by the initials AR, has spoken publicly for the first time about the “most immense pain, anguish and grief” caused by his sibling’s attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club, and he urged a public inquiry to consider whether officials could have intervened to stop the knife rampage.

Represented by Jacqueline Carey KC, Dion said in a written statement that he wanted the inquiry to explore whether the various agencies involved with his brother — including social services and the child and adolescent mental health services (CAHMS) — could have intervened in the lead-up to the atrocity. He said he hoped the inquiry would identify lessons that would help minimise the prospect of such harm in the future. The statement made clear Dion would not attend the hearings in person because of his disability, but would follow them remotely; his absence was not to be mistaken as indifference to the evidence being called or to the inquiry chair, Sir Adrian Fulford, or the participants and witnesses.

The inquiry has heard that AR’s problems began when he was expelled from The Range High School, Formby, in October 2019 after admitting to bringing a knife onto school premises on at least ten occasions. He later returned to the school and attacked a fellow pupil with a hockey stick, prompting his move to a specialist setting. There, concerns persisted and he was referred to Prevent, the government’s counter-extremism programme, three times because of his consumption of violence on the internet. The Covid-19 pandemic began in March 2020, and his attendance deteriorated; by the time of the attack he had not attended classes for about 30 months and had effectively become a recluse, spending most days in his bedroom watching violent videos.

Family and school records described a troubled trajectory. His Rwanda-born parents were reported to have signed for knives and machetes that their son allegedly ordered online, while psychiatrists noted an intimidating dynamic with his father, Alphonse, aged 49. Social workers observed tension during home visits. Mental health professionals conducted a risk assessment of AR on July 23 last year — six days before the killings — the third such assessment in four years; the assessment’s findings have not been disclosed publicly.

The inquiry, held at Liverpool Town Hall, continues to examine how AR, who had long harbored an obsession with knives and extreme violence, was able to carry out what Sir Adrian Fulford has described as “one of the most egregious crimes in our country’s history.” Dion’s representative stressed that the inquiry should learn from the case to prevent a recurrence, and that Dion would remain engaged remotely in the process.

In the broader timeline of events, AR’s attack occurred on July 29, 2024, at a holiday club in Southport, killing three children: Bebe King, six; Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine. Dion’s brother later admitted murder and was jailed for a minimum term of 52 years at Liverpool Crown Court in January. The hearings are assessing how AR’s access to weapons, mental health care, and social support was managed in the years leading up to the atrocity, and what gaps might be closed to mitigate future risk.

Dion, who studies mathematics at Warwick University and lives away from the family home in Banks near Southport, returned for the weekend before the incident and provided a full statement to police detailing AR’s behavior in the years preceding the attack. His counsel stressed that his participation in the inquiry underscores a desire to learn from the tragedy and to support public safety, despite his own inability to attend in person.

As the inquiry proceeds, it will continue to assess the adequacy of local safeguarding protocols, the effectiveness of referrals to CAHMS, and the role of schools and youth services in monitoring and intervening when warning signs emerge. The families of the victims and the wider public await findings that could inform policy changes and help prevent future tragedies.