Girl stabbed protecting sister in Southport attack

The Southport Inquiry has been hearing from the families of survivors

A gravely injured girl was stabbed six times as she shielded her little sister from the Southport attacker, a public inquiry heard.

Both sisters survived but the eldest was severely wounded in killer Axel Rudakubana's attack on a Taylor Swift themed dance workshop on 29 July 2024.

Their mother read a statement to the Southport Inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall earlier where she called her daughters her "heroes".

She told the hearing the girls' father found the eldest covered in blood outside the studio and "fainted" from the shock.

Alice Aguiar, nine, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and six-year-old Bebe King died in the attack on Hart Street , while eight other children and two adults were seriously wounded.

The inquiry's first phase will examine the killer's history and his dealings with relevant agencies, along with any missed opportunities to prevent what happened.

• 'There is no end to this,' mum of Southport survivor tells inquiry

It has been hearing further evidence from the families of survivors about the day itself and its ongoing impact.

The mother of the two girls, called C2 and C7 to protect their anonymity like all the surviving children, said she wanted the inquiry to "find answers".

Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Aguiar were murdered in the attack on 29 July 2024

Describing the moment their father found the girls in the chaotic aftermath of the attack, she said he first found the youngest child sheltering in a nearby house.

She said she had no idea where the eldest was, so he ran back outside and eventually spotted "two small legs sticking out from behind a white van" where the older sister was being treated.

Her mother said: "Unbelievably brave in the moment, she told her daddy that she was ok.

"It was in that moment, seeing our daughter so gravely injured, covered in blood and barely breathing that the weight of it all overwhelmed him.

"It was too much for his body to process and he fainted."

'Pure fear'

She said the girls had eventually been able to describe what happened when Rudakubana attacked the studio - with the youngest initially thinking he had come to show them the dance class teacher Leanne Lucas's new puppy.

After attacking other children and Ms Lucas, the killer turned on the eldest stabbing her in the chest and arm.

He then stood over her younger sister with the knife raised.

Their mother said her eldest later told her: "Mum, she was crouched, she couldn't move, her face was pure fear."

"Our eldest, just a child herself and already injured, dragged her sister in front of her to protect her," she said.

"She was then stabbed another six times in the back. She says she felt that like she was being repeatedly punched from the force."

Both girls managed to scramble free and were treated at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

Their mother, who says she is on medication since the attack, said: "It reached into every corner of our family and left none of us the same."

'Systems failed'

Earlier the parents of another girl caught up in the attack said it was preventable and urged a public inquiry to "expose the failures" that allowed it to happen.

The mother of child L said the knowledge that Rudakubana was "known to multiple agencies" is a "burden we carry every day".

She said she hoped the inquiry would "shine a light into the darkest corners of the systems that failed".

The mother of another girl who was stabbed but survived the attack, referred to as child C4, also gave evidence.

She said C4 now "spends her young life scanning her surroundings for danger" and that the once strong bond she had with her father is now damaged as their daughter finds it "difficult to trust men".

Fighting back tears, the mother told the inquiry team how proud she is of her daughter and that "her finest qualities shone through in the darkest of moments".

The inquiry also heard from the parents of child N, who said in a statement their daughter remained the "kind-hearted, spirited, joyful girl she's always been".

They said: "It is incredible how she holds onto the light, even after living through so much darkness.

"The inquiry must confront the systemic failures that allowed such a horror to unfold."

The mother of child R said her daughter, who was physically unharmed, "remembers everything" from that day.

She said she was frequently crippled by anxiety and fear, and endures terrifying nightmares and panic attacks.

The inquiry was adjourned until Wednesday.