Parents of Southport victim Elsie Stancombe express heartbreak and seek accountability in their first TV interview.
Elsie Stancombe died in the attack last July. Axel Rudakubana killed her, along with Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King. This happened during a dance class at The Hart Space, where he used a knife. Several others were injured. Rudakubana got life in prison with a minimum term of 52 years.
Jenni Stancombe said they will never feel true joy again. She believes the attack would not have occurred with her there and would have swapped places with Elsie. Jenni represents Elsie now, emphasizing that Elsie was more than a school picture. No one can fully show how special she was. David Stancombe feels guilt and anger and has to deal with those feelings.
Jenni said they dropped Elsie off for dance and bracelets, describing it as a nice activity during the school break. Some think they shouldn’t have sent her, but Elsie really wanted to go and was where she wanted to be. David said the children deserved to feel safe, and the parents said nothing will bring Elsie back.
Jenni seeks accountability from the inquiry, asserting that failures led to Rudakubana slipping through the cracks. The inquiry should hold people responsible because decisions led to the tragic failure.
Axel Rudakubana admitted to murder, confessing to killing Bebe King, Elsie Stancombe, and Alice Aguiar. He also admitted to ten counts of attempted murder.
Rudakubana’s father moved to the UK from Rwanda in 2002. Axel was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 2006. In 2013, the family moved to Lancashire. The attack happened on July 29, 2024.
He entered The Hart Space, where Bebe, Elsie, and Alice died. Eight children were hurt, as were Leanne Lucas and John Hayes. Police arrested Rudakubana and seized a knife. Claims spread online about an asylum seeker.
A vigil occurred outside Southport’s Atkinson, and people laid flowers. A protest started near the mosque, and items were thrown, damaging property. Police vehicles were set on fire. Demonstrators gathered in London, protesting “Enough Is Enough”, and arrests took place there.
Disorder broke out in other areas too. Rudakubana was charged on August 1, 2024, which included murder and attempted murder. Due to his age, police did not name him initially.
A court ruled he could be named because he was about to turn 18. He smiled in court, then he hid his face. Demonstrations occurred in Manchester, and police were hurt during disorder in Sunderland.
Violence erupted at protests across the UK, including in Liverpool and other cities. Demonstrators launched items at police in Rotherham, and the government held an emergency meeting. The Prime Minister promised to “ramp up criminal justice.”
Sentences for unrest started on August 7, 2024, with Derek Drummond getting three years. More protests were planned, but most areas had little trouble.
Rudakubana faced new charges in October. These charges included producing a toxin, and he also had terror-related information. He appeared in court via video link, hiding his face and not confirming his name.
He pleaded guilty to all charges in January 2025, including the murders of Alice, Bebe, and Elsie. A report said police closed investigations three times before the Southport murders.
Rudakubana tried to murder eight children and also attacked Leanne Lucas and John Hayes. He was fascinated by the Ariana Grande bombing. He asked about drawing guns in 2019 and also asked for a picture of a severed head.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said Rudakubana was reported to Prevent three times. David Stancombe said he now knows about Prevent and that Rudakubana had encounters with them. This doesn’t bring Elsie back.
Jenni hopes for change and doesn’t want anyone else to suffer. David said this should never happen again and that flaws need fixing. Jenni said they met Taylor Swift after the attack and showed her pictures of Elsie, and Swift asked to keep them. Elsie would have loved that.
They started a charity called Elsie’s Story. Jenni said they often feel no true joy and might feel a little when helping other kids smile. This is for Elsie.
Bebe’s mom hopes Bebe impacts the world and believes Bebe will protect children. She said her girls just need to be safe and wants to remove Bebe from recent events. Bebe was beautiful, funny, and crazy, and her legacy is not defined by this event.
She feels like a lioness protecting her child. She talked about their last moments with Bebe, reading to her in the hospital. The family said their last goodbye.
Bebe’s dad was hurt by the televised sentencing. Their lawyer wants online safety to be “paramount”. They were shocked the videos were online.