Families of Southport Victims Question Axel Rudakubana’s Transfer to Broadmoor Hospital

The lawyer representing the families of the three children murdered in the Southport attack has questioned the decision to transfer killer Axel Rudakubana from prison to a high-security psychiatric hospital, suggesting it could be an attempt to manipulate the justice system.

Rudakubana, 19, was moved from HM Prison Belmarsh to Broadmoor Hospital on Thursday after an independent clinical assessment concluded he required treatment under the Mental Health Act.

The transfer comes just days before the second anniversary of the July 29, 2024 attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, where Rudakubana murdered nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe. He also attempted to murder eight other children and two adults.

Chris Walker, the solicitor representing the bereaved families, said they had seen no evidence to support the view that Rudakubana suffers from a severe mental disorder warranting the move.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Walker said the families were seeking answers about whether the transfer reflected a genuine deterioration in Rudakubana’s mental health or whether he was attempting to exploit the system.

He said that while Rudakubana’s crimes had been described as evil, evil behaviour alone should not automatically be regarded as evidence of a psychotic illness.

Walker added that the timing of the transfer had been particularly distressing for the victims’ families as they approach the second anniversary of the attack. He said they had received only limited information and were requesting an urgent meeting with the relevant authorities to better understand the decision.

The Prison Officers’ Association told the BBC that Rudakubana’s transfer followed a decline in his mental health.

During his sentencing in January 2025, the court heard that psychiatric assessments found no evidence that a mental illness had contributed to his crimes. Defence lawyers said he had high-functioning autism but no associated learning disability and had been found fit to be interviewed, detained and stand trial.

Mr Justice Julian Goose sentenced Rudakubana to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 52 years. A whole-life order could not be imposed because he was 17 years old when the offences were committed.

The judge described the attack as one of the most shocking crimes ever to come before the courts and said Rudakubana had intended to kill every child present, along with any adults who tried to stop him.

Evidence presented to the ongoing Southport public inquiry has revealed that Rudakubana had extensive contact with mental health services from 2019 until 2023 and had been referred to the government’s Prevent counter-terrorism programme on three separate occasions. However, investigators found no evidence that he was motivated by a fixed ideological belief.

The inquiry has also heard that there were indications Rudakubana may have researched potential mental health defences before the attack, although the evidence was not considered conclusive.

Under the Mental Health Act, prisoners can be transferred to secure hospitals if independent clinicians determine they require specialist psychiatric treatment. The Ministry of Justice said Rudakubana’s move followed the required clinical assessment and stressed that the transfer does not alter his life sentence.

Officials said he will remain in the high-security psychiatric unit only for as long as treatment is deemed necessary and will be returned to prison once doctors determine he is fit to do so.

The Ministry of Justice also reiterated that the transfer does not reduce Rudakubana’s punishment and expressed its continued sympathy for the families of those who were killed and injured in the Southport attack.