Nigel Farage claimed authorities engaged in a ‘gigantic cover-up’ over the Southport child murders today, as it emerged the killer had been cleared by counter-extremism experts three times.
The Reform leader lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer and police, saying the public had been ‘denied the truth’ about Axel Rudakubana‘s motives and background.
Authorities may have missed several attempts to stop Rudakubana before he murdered three children and attempted to murder eight other youngsters and two adults in Southport last summer, when he was aged just 17.
The Mail has learnt that authorities knew of his disturbing interest in a school massacre as far back as 2019.
In 2019 he was referred to the Government’s de-radicalisation scheme Prevent on the basis that he had been researching on a school computer for information about the killing of children in school shootings.
But experts deemed that there was no counter-terrorism risk at the time as he was considered not to be motivated by a terrorist ideology.
The Guardian reported he was also referred twice in 2021 after viewing material about the 2017 London terror attack.
Clacton MP Mr Farage, who is in Washington for Donald Trump‘s inauguration, said his party would demand Home Secretary Yvette Cooper explain to MPs why his terror links were not revealed sooner.
‘I asked that question 24 hours after the murders. I said why are we not being told the truth? Was this man known to the authorities? We were met with a complete wall of silence,’ the Reform leader said.
![The Reform leader lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer and police, saying the public had been 'denied the truth' about Axel Rudakubana's motives and background](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/21/02/94287467-14304719-The_Reform_leader_lashed_out_at_Sir_Keir_Starmer_and_police_sayi-a-49_1737424821072.jpg)
The Reform leader lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer and police, saying the public had been ‘denied the truth’ about Axel Rudakubana’s motives and background
![Authorities may have missed several attempts to stop Rudakubana before he murdered three children and attempted to murder eight other youngsters and two adults in Blackpool last summer when he was aged just 17](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/21/02/94295911-14304719-Authorities_may_have_missed_several_attempts_to_stop_Rudakubana_-a-52_1737424821084.jpg)
Authorities may have missed several attempts to stop Rudakubana before he murdered three children and attempted to murder eight other youngsters and two adults in Blackpool last summer when he was aged just 17
![His guilty plea is likely to raise pressure on Prevent to explain how he slipped through the cracks, engaging in a horrific crime and sparking a summer of violent, often racist, unrest across the UK, fuelled by online conspiracy theories](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/21/02/94294799-14304719-His_guilty_plea_is_likely_to_raise_pressure_on_Prevent_to_explai-a-50_1737424821074.jpg)
His guilty plea is likely to raise pressure on Prevent to explain how he slipped through the cracks, engaging in a horrific crime and sparking a summer of violent, often racist, unrest across the UK, fuelled by online conspiracy theories
‘The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary refused to engage, Liverpool police refused to engage.
‘There was nothing about what I asked that would have in any way threatened contempt of court. This is basic background information that the public was entitled to.
‘I was accused by mainstream media publications and senior politicians of stoking and encouraging the riots, when actually the riots were happening because of the vacuum of information and crazy conspiracy theories gaining traction online.’
He added: ‘I think that the Government are responsible for the most astonishing cover-up. I think that we need an apology from the Home Secretary and an explanation as to why we have been denied the basic truth.’
Asked if he would be raising this in the Commons, Mr Farage replied: ‘We will, as a party, table an urgent question on this. Absolutely.’
Tory party leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘We will need a complete account of who in Government knew what and when. The public deserves the truth.’
His guilty plea today is likely to raise pressure on Prevent to explain how he slipped through the cracks, engaging in a horrific crime and sparking a summer of violent and often racist unrest across the UK, fuelled by online conspiracy theories.
Within hours of his attack, posts spread on the internet which claimed the suspect was a 17-year-old asylum seeker, who had come to the country by boat last year.
But Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and moved with his family to the village of Banks in Lancashire about a decade ago.
In the first press conference after the event, at 6.30pm that day, Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy told journalists the suspect was originally from Cardiff.
But, the police statement did little to quell the misinformation spreading online.
Police forces do not name suspects before they are charged and Rudakubana – still a youth at 17 – would remain anonymous even after he was charged because of his age.
A crowd gathered outside Southport mosque – which has no known links to Rudakubana – for a planned protest on the evening of July 30.
Shouts of ‘English ’til I die’ were heard and bricks broken off from garden walls were used as missiles.
Police officers initially seemed unprepared for the violence, without riot helmets or shields.
The following week, when the first prison sentences were handed out for those involved, Recorder of Liverpool Andrew Menary KC described a ‘mob’ using the ‘most foul and racist abuse’, smashing windows, hurling bricks and setting a police van alight.
He said: ‘This was large scale and very violent criminal activity made much worse by the fact that it was happening only a day after entirely different and utterly tragic events.
‘The genuine and collective grief of the residents of Southport was hijacked by this callous behaviour.’
Ms Kennedy said 93 officers were hurt, with injuries including fractured legs, knocked out teeth and a broken jaw.
On Wednesday morning, the clean up of Southport began, but by the evening violence had spread further afield – with demonstrations in London, Hartlepool in County Durham and Aldershot in Hampshire.
For the next week, as Rudakubana was charged, appeared before court and officially named, violent protests continued across the country.
![Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died following the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed class in The Hart Space on a small business park in the seaside town shortly before noon on July 29](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/21/02/94294787-14304719-Alice_da_Silva_Aguiar_nine_Bebe_King_six_and_Elsie_Dot_Stancombe-a-51_1737424821075.jpg)
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died following the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed class in The Hart Space on a small business park in the seaside town shortly before noon on July 29
![The Government announced emergency security for mosques and Sir Keir Starmer promised those involved would 'face the full force of the law'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/21/02/94294801-14304719-The_Government_announced_emergency_security_for_mosques_and_Sir_-a-53_1737424821086.jpg)
The Government announced emergency security for mosques and Sir Keir Starmer promised those involved would ‘face the full force of the law’
![Musk, a close ally of Donald Trump (pictured together last night), branded the PM #TwoTierKeir, in reference to claims or allegations of 'two tier policing' in Britain complaining about harsh sentences handed out to those involved in the disorder fuelled by far-Right thugs](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/21/02/94295501-14304719-Musk_a_close_ally_of_Donald_Trump_pictured_together_last_night_b-a-54_1737424821099.jpg)
Musk, a close ally of Donald Trump (pictured together last night), branded the PM #TwoTierKeir, in reference to claims or allegations of ‘two tier policing’ in Britain complaining about harsh sentences handed out to those involved in the disorder fuelled by far-Right thugs
Rioters smashed the windows of hotels in Rotherham and Tamworth, and set a library in Liverpool on fire.
The Government announced emergency security for mosques and Sir Keir promised those involved would ‘face the full force of the law’.
Prison sentences began to be handed out the following week and by mid-December more than 360 people had been jailed for their parts in the unrest across the country.
But that prompted an outcry from Elon Musk and other hard right figures. Musk, a close ally of Donald Trump, branded the PM #TwoTierKeir, in reference to claims or allegations of ‘two tier policing’ in Britain complaining about harsh sentences handed out to those involved in the disorder fuelled by far-right thugs.
On August 8, there were rumours online of 100 planned protests, with gatherings anticipated in 41 of the 43 police force areas in England and Wales.
Shops boarded up their windows to prevent windows being smashed.
But in most places, only peaceful anti-racism demonstrators gathered and fears of further violent disorder were quashed.
Neighbours around the family home in Lancashire described the family as unremarkable, but it can now be reported that teachers had concerns about his behaviour.
The teenager, who is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, is believed to have left Range High School in Formby in around 2019, before moving to a specialist school.
Teachers at the specialist school were concerned about his violence towards others, it is understood.
Rudakubana, of Banks, Lancashire, was to stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday charged with 16 offences, including three counts of murder.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died following the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed class in The Hart Space on a small business park in the seaside town shortly before noon on July 29.
The defendant admitted their murders as well as the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff, also admitted production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before July 29 and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
The terrorism offence relates to a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual which he is said to have possessed between August 29 2021 and July 30 2024.
The ricin, a deadly poison, and the document were found during searches of the home in Old School Close which he shared with his parents, who are originally from Rwanda.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .