“This will make you cry!” – Courage of the seven-year-old girl who shielded other children from Southport knifeman Axel Rudakubana and ‘fought like hell’ despite being stabbed 33 times

A brave seven-year-old girl shielded her classmates during the Southport dance class stabbing and “fought like hell” to survive, her mother told a public inquiry. The child, who was the most seriously injured survivor of the attack, crouched over other girls to protect them from Axel Rudakubana, who inflicted more than 30 stab wounds on her small body during the horrifying incident at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2023. She later told her mother, “I’m glad I could help them, Mum.”

The public inquiry, held at Liverpool Town Hall, is examining how multiple agencies — including the police, NHS, social services, and the courts — failed to identify the danger posed by Rudakubana, who was 18 at the time. Despite repeated red flags, including multiple referrals to the Government’s Prevent program and a history of knife possession, no effective action was taken. His Prevent cases were closed because he didn’t exhibit a clear ideological motive, despite evidence of violent tendencies and obsessive consumption of disturbing content online.

Rudakubana went on to murder three girls — Alice da Silva Aguiar, aged nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven — and attempted to murder 10 others, including children, a teacher, and a local businessman. During the attack, Child 1, as she is referred to, was trapped at the top of a stairwell. As other children ran for safety, she protected another girl by covering her with her own body, whispering that everything would be okay. In doing so, she suffered catastrophic injuries. She initially escaped the building, only to be dragged back inside by Rudakubana where the attack continued. CCTV footage, shown in court, captured her being pulled back inside and then reappearing 11 seconds later, stumbling before collapsing outside.

The girl sustained 33 stab wounds and underwent two life-saving surgeries. She spent four days on a ventilator and required a full blood transfusion. Her mother said the psychological toll has been severe. The child suffers panic attacks, flashbacks, and cannot attend school full-time. She is terrified of being separated from her family and remains physically and emotionally scarred. Despite this, the girl has expressed empathy for her attacker, asking questions about his life and wondering what drove him to carry out such violence.

Her mother said the most painful truth was that in the earliest moments of the attack, there were no adults left to help — the children had to save themselves. She acknowledged the actions of the teachers who eventually raised the alarm and shielded other children, but insisted that the reality for her daughter was fighting alone to survive. She called for accountability, meaningful change, and an apology to all the children impacted. In a powerful closing to her testimony, she addressed the survivors directly, telling them they have every right to live, to play, to laugh, and to be loved, and that they are surrounded by pride, love, and unwavering support.

Other parents also gave statements to the inquiry. One father described how his nine-year-old daughter was stabbed three times in the back while fleeing. She had been the first to escape the dance hall and underwent six hours of emergency surgery. Her father said she continues to suffer from insomnia, flashbacks, and constant anxiety. He recalled watching the CCTV footage of her escape, calling it one of the hardest things he’s ever had to witness. Despite this, he praised her strength and resilience, saying she continues to shine with the same positive, funny, and courageous spirit she had before the attack.

Another mother spoke of her daughter, who had not been physically harmed but has remained deeply traumatized. She recalled the terror of arriving at the scene and seeing children running for their lives. Her daughter, already an anxious child, is now emotionally withdrawn, scared of sirens, and unable to sleep alone. The family has undergone therapy, which has helped, but the mother said the road to healing is long and full of uncertainty. Her daughter often asks, “Will I ever be normal again?” and cannot speak about what she saw.

Sir Adrian Fulford, chairing the inquiry, called the massacre “one of the most egregious crimes in our country’s history.” He emphasized that the inquiry is not just about uncovering how Rudakubana was allowed to carry out such an atrocity, but about preventing anything like it from ever happening again. He noted that by the time of the attack, Rudakubana had already come to the attention of various state agencies, had a known interest in knives, and had ordered weapons online. He added that the killer’s ability to prepare for and carry out such violence, despite numerous red flags, represented a total failure by the institutions meant to intervene.

The inquiry will examine whether new legal tools are needed to preemptively manage individuals showing violent tendencies, even if they have not committed a crime or hold extremist ideologies. It will also explore whether Prevent, the Government’s counter-extremism program, needs to be overhauled to address threats that fall outside traditional definitions of terrorism. Sir Adrian concluded that the facts already point to the attack being far from unforeseeable, describing it as a catastrophic failure to act despite ample warning.

Police later discovered a large cache of weapons in Rudakubana’s home, including knives, machetes, a bow and arrow, materials for Molotov cocktails, and substances for making the deadly toxin ricin. The widespread unrest that followed the attack is not part of the inquiry’s scope. Additional testimony from parents and survivors will continue in September, as the inquiry works toward delivering recommendations that could shape future policy and public safety protocols.