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On the 29 July 2024, Axel Rudakubana carried out a knife attack at a children’s dance class in Southport. He murdered 3 young girls, Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King, and injured 8 other children and two adults. Sixteen others survived the attack but suffered significant psychological trauma.
The Southport Inquiry was set up to examine the circumstances surrounding the attack and the events leading up to it. This will include examining an overall timeline of the perpetrator’s history and interactions with various public bodies including criminal justice, education, social care, and healthcare, as well as decision-making and information-sharing by local services and agencies. The Inquiry’s terms of reference are available here.
On 6 November 2025, the Southport Inquiry completed the hearings for Phase 1 of the Inquiry. Harriet Wakeman is instructed as Counsel to the Southport Inquiry. The Chair’s Phase 1 Closing Statement can be viewed here.
The Phase 1 hearings began on 8 September 2025 and lasted 9 weeks. During that time, the Inquiry received 25 impact statements and commemorative portraits, as well as the evidence of over 100 witnesses, of whom 67 gave live evidence. During the course of the Inquiry, Harriet questioned a number of witnesses. Press coverage of which may be found on BBC news: 01/10/25 & 20/10/25.
The Chair of the Inquiry, Sir Adrian Fulford, indicated in his Phase 1 closing statement that he anticipates that the Phase 1 Report will be completed in Spring 2026.
Harriet Wakeman is instructed as Counsel to the Southport Inquiry (led by Nicholas Moss KC (Temple Garden Chambers) and with Richard Boyle (Temple Garden Chambers) and John Goss (5 Essex Chambers)).
