A British teenager, Axel Rudakubana, surprised the court by pleading guilty to the murder of three girls and attempting to kill 10 others during a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England last summer. The 18-year-old admitted to three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder, and other charges related to possessing ricin and an al-Qaida manual at the start of his trial in Liverpool Crown Court.
The attacks on July 29 shook the U.K., leading to widespread rioting across parts of England and Northern Ireland after the false identification of Rudakubana as an asylum-seeker. Born in Wales, he now faces life imprisonment following his guilty plea.
His defense lawyer, Stanley Reiz, plans to present information about Rudakubana’s mental health before his sentencing. The teenager had remained silent in court but spoke up to plead guilty when prompted by the judge.
The prosecutor apologized on behalf of the absent victims’ families for missing the plea hearing. The surviving victims and relatives of those killed were expected to attend the trial the following day for opening statements.
The motive behind Rudakubana’s actions remains unknown, although the tragic incident occurred during a yoga and dance class for children in Southport. He confessed to killing Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6, and injuring several others, including the teacher and a bystander.
Despite the severity of the crimes, the police determined that the stabbings were not terrorism-related due to the unclear motive. Additional charges were brought against Rudakubana for the production of ricin and possessing terrorism-related information found on his computer.
Following the violent incidents, which sparked riots and clashes with authorities, over 1,200 people were arrested, and many received lengthy prison sentences for their involvement.
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