A 2024 Southport knife attack that killed three children was preceded by warnings about the attacker’s violence and ignored school safety concerns.

A public inquiry into the 2024 Southport knife attack heard that Axel Rudakubana’s father warned a school teacher in May 2022 that his son might become violent if forced to see him. Rudakubana, who had an attendance rate of just 0.7% at Presfield High School, was removed from the school in June 2024, a month before he killed three children during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Multiple staff visits to his home were blocked by his parents, and critical details about his past violence—including knife possession and prior assaults—were not included in his education, health, and care plan. The school said it would not have accepted him had it known. The inquiry continues.