British teenager jailed for life for murdering three girls during stabbing spree
On Thursday (23 Jan), a British teenager responsible for stabbing three young girls to death in a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last July was sentenced to life imprisonment
According to Sky News, 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana received 13 life sentences for charges of murder and attempted murder.
He was also charged for possessing a knife in a public place, producing a biological toxin, and possessing an Al-Qaeda training manual.
A ‘mass murder of innocent, happy young girls’: Judge
According to Prosecutor Deanna Heer, Rudakubana actions were not religiously or politically inspired.
“His only purpose was to kill and he targeted the youngest, most vulnerable in order to spread the greatest level of fear and outrage,” said Prosecutor Heer.
Judge Julian Goose described the teen’s 15-minute stabbing spree as a “mass murder of innocent, happy young girls”.
“He would have killed each and every child, all 26 of them” should he not have been stopped, Goose stated.

Source: ABC7 on YouTube
Rudakubana was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve a minimum of 52 years.
Horrors of stabbing spree still linger
On the day of the stabbings, Rudakubana took a taxi to the dance class wielding a 20cm-long kitchen knife.
He then burst into a studio where a group of young girls were making bracelets while listening to Taylor Swift’s songs, reported Channel NewsAsia.
Prosecutor Heer recounted that screams were heard shortly after followed by the scene of children fleeing from the building.
Rudakubana, who was then 17 years old, stabbed three girls to death:
- Six-year-old Bebe King
- Seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe
- Nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar
BBC reported that Bebe King and Elsie Dot were stabbed 122 and 85 times respectively.
After getting arrested, Rudakubana chillingly said:
I’m glad they’re dead.
Survivor said stabber looked possessed
To this day, the horrors of the stabbing spree still linger among the survivors and families of the victims.
According to Channel NewsAsia, people in the public gallery were emotional and distraught as they watched security footage of screaming children fleeing the scene.
During the reading of victim statements, a 14-year-old survivor vividly remembers his eyes.
“You didn’t look human, you looked possessed,” she stated.
There have reportedly been calls for Rudakubana’s sentence to be reviewed, as many find it to be too lenient.
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Featured image adapted from Merseyside Police and BBC.