Axel Rudakubana, 18, has been sentenced to a minimum of 52 years behind bars
Judge says it’s unlikely he’ll ever be released
He killed Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, and Bebe King, 6 last year in Southport

Axel Rudakubana sentenced to a minimum of 52 years

Axel Rudakubana has been sentenced to 52 years behind bars for the murder of three little girls – and attempted murder of 10 others – last year as they attended a dance class in Southport.

Rudakubana pleaded guilty on Monday to the murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, and Bebe King, 6. He also admitted to producing ricin, possessing terrorist material, and possessing a knife.

The judge says it’s unlikely Rudakubana will ever be released despite the fact he did not receive a life sentence – due to his age at the time of the crime.

Most of the front pages react to the sentencing, some note it’s the longest sentence someone of his age has received, others pick up on the judge’s comments it’s unlikely he’ll ever be released and some question if the law should change to include life sentences for 17-year-olds.

On social media, fuelled by far-right politicians, there are calls for Rudakubana to face the death penalty.

Some papers lead with the words from the parents of the victims who spoke of how the horrors have changed their lives whilst other publications – print and online – look at how the state failed the victims, noting Rudakubana was known to police and had been referred to the Prevent scheme three times.

The reaction

The Mail reports the sentence is believed to be the longest given to a killer of his age and quotes the judge as saying it’s unlikely he will ever be released. The paper’s editorial asks why police and the Prevent programme failed to act before the murders despite signs Rudakubana was obsessed with violence. It says the signs of danger were ignored due to “box-ticking officials” weren’t sure whether he had a political or ideological motivation.

The Times says the case has prompted calls for legal reforms as Rudakubana’s age at the time of the attack meant he avoided a whole life sentence.

The Daily Express quotes the parents of the victims calling Rudakubana “pure evil” and saying they have been left with “shattered souls.” The Daily Mirror quotes Elsie’s mother who told Rudakubana that she hopes the attacks “haunt you every single day.” The Sun quotes the parents of one of the children who was injured in the attacks but survived named Child A, saying: “When we think of Southport we’ll think of the girls. Their bravery. Their strength. He will not win.”

The i says Rudakubana would have killed all 26 children in the class and it was only because of the bravery of the other children and adults present that he was stopped. The paper quotes one 14-year-old survivor saying: “I knew I was running for my life. I needed to try to get everyone to safety… a room full of defenceless children”.

The Guardian says at the sentencing it had emerged that two years before the attack his parents called the police four times in six months asking for help. The paper says that on one occasion he was caught on the bus with a blade but instead of detaining him, officers took him home and told his mother to keep knives out of his reach.