Southport killings inquiry verdict.

I regret not having seen the question posed by FGT. open, honest discussion on something as significant as this issue shouldn’t be shut down.

Interesting that the report button presser hasn’t posted adding her dislike of the post, so allowing others to comment

The headteacher of his school/referral unit expressed deep concern, she said he was high risk.
She was accused by a children’s mental health worker (Samantha Steed) of racial stereotyping.

Do you remember in the Manchester attack a security guard was reluctant to alert anyone to one of the perpetrators because of his colour?

What have we done?

ViceVersa

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I had a genuine question upthread but someone reported me thanks a bundle whoever you are.

If someone had an issue with your post, why couldn't they just say so, rather than rushing off to report it? I've only ever reported the very obvious spam posts, but I do get the feeling there are some posters who are very 'trigger happy' when it comes to reporting.

We can't have an in depth discussion here on GN, exploring all avenues, if people seek to remove any questions or comments they regard as a blemish on their own precious ideas.
The question asked by FriedGreenTomatoes was pertinent, and broke no rules.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I had a genuine question upthread but someone reported me thanks a bundle whoever you are.

If someone had an issue with your post, why couldn't they just say so, rather than rushing off to report it? I've only ever reported the very obvious spam posts, but I do get the feeling there are some posters who are very 'trigger happy' when it comes to reporting.

MartavTaurus, that's interesting. I suspect that many of us who have worked in education recognise this problem, where families are in denial about their son or daughter.
I feel for them under the terrible pressure of a seriously disturbed family member, but the delivery of a machete (!) .. Is possession of such an object not a police matter?

AR's Headteacher - probably the person who had the most contact with him - says,
His parents thought he was a "good boy" who never did anything wrong and that "any issues were someone else's fault", according to Ms Hodson.
There you have it, but her words at the time were ignored. 😡 If a Head feels a child is sinister and a real danger to other children, then I'd expect the authorities to take him away, or I'd refuse him entry to the school premises.

sodapop

Cardamom I read an article which said the parents of Rudakubana had asked for help with their son's increasing problems but no help was given. Maybe the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Social Care and allied services have a long history of not working together for the good of the client, seems nothing has changed.

He had been discharged by a psychiatrist on July 23, 2024, days before the attack, with a note stating his risk to others was "minimal".

Posts on page one give more details.

I think it's entirely possible that alongside that, at other times they had asked for help and not enough was outstanding at that point. An appalling, complex, terrible, mess.
BTW, if the staff were convinced the level of danger was imminent and definite, they would not have followed a parental WhatsApp.

read an article which said the parents of Rudakubana had asked for help with their son's increasing problems but no help was given

This article would seem to differ:

BBC News 28th October 2025

The father of the Southport killer asked for information not to be shared with the youth offending team, the public inquiry into the stabbings has heard.
His father Alphonse Rudakubana had sent a WhatsApp message to the worker asking them not to share information that could "turn our family upside down", the hearing was told.
The message was sent in November 2020 to a member of the Child and Family Wellbeing Service in Lancashire, which ran an early help team which families could voluntarily seek support from.

In the WhatsApp message, Alphonse Rudakubana had raised concerns about the sharing of his family's personal information.

He said: "Not to say that there is something sinister, but because it is not necessary."

He said the family expected a "high degree of confidentiality and sensitivity" from the early help service.

He added: "Axel can trust you and say stuff as a child but we don't expect you to record or share some information with others that can turn our family upside down."

So, I'll repeat my earlier post as to why they didn't seek help: they were more concerned with themselves and their social standing within their church community. And that's all.

Cardamom I read an article which said the parents of Rudakubana had asked for help with their son's increasing problems but no help was given. Maybe the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Social Care and allied services have a long history of not working together for the good of the client, seems nothing has changed.

Wyllow yes psychiatric and psychological services for adolescents are rare and stretched. In this case from my reading of it, the difficulty getting placements and therapy isn’t the issue here

Cardamon, my reading is his parents funded and signed for the weapons that arrived. He terrorised them, they lied,,, deceived people who came to the house about their son.
Most experienced people working with children and families should have been aware of the emotional temperature in their home. It’s shameful
It’s also sadly not unusual for permanently excluded children not to be ‘seen’. I could name one, excluded from age eight and never again in education,

Not me.

Petra, I have now read the report as I said I would to Marg so there was no need to demand I "read the report" upthread, completely unnecessary.

I share all the concerns above: I would add, we need to resource MH services properly for adolescents: they are absolutely lamentable.

What were the parents thinking, really?

Of themselves. Of their high position in their church community. Of not drawing any more attention to themselves than their had already been in respect of Alphonse Rudakubana's urgent need to leave Rwanda.

Not only did their son amass an arsenal of lethal weapons in his bedroom, he allegedly had the necessary equipment to make ricin. How did he obtain that? What did he intend to do with it? Who ordered it, paid for it, signed for its delivery?

Don’t suppose anyone would like to say “it was me” and explain why?

Thought not.

Thank you both.
It’s becoming ridiculous these days to try to take part in N&P
Sometimes it even seems personal.
🤷‍♀️

FGT I didn’t see your post. I simply can’t imagine what you could have said to be deleted. Blinking report button, as Galaxy says, you deleted for asking a question in a situation where not enough serious, probing, investigative questions were asked.

Don’t be put off FGT. it’s good to see you posting

In a case where lack of questions has been part of the failure.

I had a genuine question upthread but someone reported me thanks a bundle whoever you are.

I’ share your feelings Cossy. I recall a cp conference where an inexperienced sw listed visits made where entry was refused for different reasons. In those days over twenty years ago an inspector from GMP attended. He arranged for police to go round next time entry refused. Child found in need of hospital.
Working together now looks like a golden age

I’m being controversial in my next comment but my experience is the youth offending teams took a much more tolerant view of what constitutes a safeguarding issue.

Decades of safeguarding failures! Utterly horrific!

Iam64

Social workers have a statutory duty to investigate a safeguarding referral, if refused entry, they can call the police who will escort them into the home.

One of The recurring themes from inquiries into dead children is the absence of curiosity, the need to look deeper into concerns. For one key worker, well supervised to lead and to communicate effectively with other relevant agencies. That’s relevant in this case.
Tony Blair’s Every Child Matters orange book guidance for social workers was a positive aid.
Sadly, the wheel keeps being reinvented

It’s all so tragic, and so pointless, like all the other awful tragic pointless deaths that have hit the headlines due to safeguarding either being ignored or not applied properly.

My heart goes out to all victims, but it also makes me very very angry.

I’m relieved the inquiry has knocked the nonsense on the head, that attributed his violent, obsessive behaviour to autism.

Wyllow3

Yes, that is shocking.

They would have been aware, I'm sure that he would have been arrested just for having them in the house.

They were deluding themselves, as some people can of their children or N and D .."he won't really use them...."

And had they turned him in, probably he would have been sectioned, and it would not have happened. Horrible, appalling consequences, and they have to live with it too all their lives.
and the hatred of others.

Having said that, and making no excuses for his acts - MH are stretched so far that unless he had been in their spotlights recently, the authorities would not have been on the look out for him.

He was permanently expelled from his school 3 years before he murdered those children, why, he was caught for the third time carrying a knife 🤬
All the departments dealing with him put his behaviour down to being autistic🤬
Listen/ read the whole report.

Crikey of course the important thing in this discussion is to report whatever fgt said. Sigh.