Secretary of State for the Home Department (): On 7 April 2025, the then
Secretary of State for the Home Department announced the
establishment of an Inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005, to be
chaired by the Right Honourable Sir Adrian Fulford. This Inquiry
was to examine the appalling events that took place at a
children's dance class in Southport on 29 July 2024.
Three young girls were tragically murdered on that day, Elsie Dot
Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King, and many more
were seriously harmed. Our thoughts remain with the families who
have suffered such devastating loss, as well as those who
survived the attack but live with the lasting physical and
psychological impact.
The Chair has today published his findings from the first phase
of this Inquiry, which provides a detailed account of the events
leading up to the attack, and the attack itself. The Inquiry
examined the perpetrator's history and interactions with a range
of state systems including policing and criminal justice,
education, health and social care, as well as considering the
account of all those who were impacted by the attack.
The findings point to missed opportunities which could have
stopped this attack from occurring. They indicate systematic
failures, structural gaps, and a lack of ownership of the risk
from the many agencies involved. The Inquiry also highlights how
agencies failed to adequately share information and take all the
facts about the risk the perpetrator posed to the community into
consideration, which ultimately meant that his risk was not
managed effectively.
Sir Adrian has examined these issues thoroughly, and I welcome
the recommendations he has made. The Government is determined to
learn the lessons identified by the Inquiry and to take the
necessary action to reduce the risk of such an attack happening
again. I must thank the Chair, his team, and all those that took
part in the Inquiry, for the speed, rigour and professionalism
with which they have conducted their work.
The Government will consider the report and its recommendations
and will respond in full later this summer. Alongside this, the
Government will respond to the recommendations made by the
Prevent Commissioner, Lord Anderson KC, in his Lessons for
Prevent report, which examined Prevent's role in the
Southport attack and the murder of Sir .
While the first phase of the Inquiry has looked specifically at
the failings in this case, it has identified wider gaps in how to
address the risk from individuals who hold a fascination with
extreme violence. Following consultation with the Chair and those
most affected by this attack, I am today publishing the Terms of
Reference for the second phase of the Southport Inquiry.
I have asked the Chair in Phase 2, to examine the adequacy of
arrangements for identifying and managing the risk posed by
individuals who are fixated with extreme violence. The Inquiry
will consider the role of multi-agency management, the
interventions needed to reduce risk to the public, the
effectiveness of laws around knives and weapons, and the extent
to which the internet and social media are influencing and
enabling people to carry out violent attacks.
This next phase of the Inquiry will begin immediately and is
expected to report in Spring 2027. A copy of the Terms of
Reference for Phase 2 of the Southport Inquiry will be placed in
the Libraries of both Houses.
The Government will provide the Inquiry with the resources it
needs to complete this next phase and will fully support the
Chair in the discharge of his duties. We will continue to engage
with those affected by the events in Southport, to ensure that
their questions are answered, and their views are heard, as this
next stage commences.
