The crime horrified the nation and was followed by days of nationwide anti-migrant riots in August.
A British teenager has pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls in a knife attack in the north of the United Kingdom in July, a crime that horrified the nation and led to days of nationwide unrest.
18-year-old Axel Rudakubana changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on Monday, the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
He pleaded guilty to the murder of Bebe King, 6; Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7; and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, who were at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport Town on July 29, 2024.
Ten other people, including eight children, were injured in one of the country’s worst mass killings in years.
Rudakubana also pleaded guilty to 10 counts of attempted murder in connection with the attack, as well as manufacturing the deadly poison ricin and possessing an al-Qaeda training manual.
Judge Julian Goose said he would sentence Rudakubana on Thursday and a life sentence was inevitable.
The teenager, wearing a gray tracksuit and surgical mask, refused to appear in court, saying only the word “guilty”.
In December, Rudakubana had pleaded not guilty when he refused to speak in court and the case had been scheduled for a four-week trial.
Rudakubana was born in Wales to Rwandan parents. He lived in Banks, a village north-east of Southport.
Following the murders, there was widespread unrest in Southport after false reports spread on social media that the alleged killer was a Muslim immigrant.
These riots spread across the United Kingdom, leading to attacks on mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. Prime Minister Keir Starmer blamed right-wing extremist violence for the unrest. More than 1,500 people were arrested.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Monday that the coming days will be “a deeply traumatic and distressing time for the girls’ families.” However, she said it was important that the legal process continued so that “justice can be done”.
