The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that Axel Rudakubana, the 19-year-old convicted of the murders at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, has been moved from HMP Belmarsh to Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital.
Transfer follows clinical assessment
Officials said the relocation was approved after an independent clinical assessment under the Mental Health Act and that the move does not alter the prisoner's criminal sentence. Rudakubana continues to serve a 52-year sentence handed down for the killings on 29 July 2024.
“The families of those murdered and injured in Southport will be in this country’s heart forever and our thoughts remain with them… This transfer does not change his sentence – which remains at 52 years – and of which he will serve every single day.”
The Ministry of Justice statement emphasised that transfers to secure psychiatric units follow rigorous security checks and are made when clinicians judge that an offender cannot be managed safely in a prison environment because of a mental disorder. In such units, patients are treated under health legislation rather than solely as prisoners.
Context and implications
Broadmoor, located in Berkshire, is one of the UK’s three high-security psychiatric hospitals and has historically held offenders regarded as presenting an exceptionally high risk. The move from a Category A prison to a secure hospital typically reflects concerns about an individual's mental state and the suitability of prison for their care.
- Offender: Axel Rudakubana, aged 19.
- Sentence: Life sentence with a minimum term totalling 52 years.
- Incident date: 29 July 2024; the attack killed three children and injured others.
The victims were identified at the time as Alice da Silva Aguiar, aged nine; Bebe King, aged six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven. The attack also resulted in attempted murders of eight children and two adults.
| Victim | Age |
|---|---|
| Alice da Silva Aguiar | 9 |
| Bebe King | 6 |
| Elsie Dot Stancombe | 7 |
Reports from elsewhere have noted that patients in secure hospital units typically attract higher per-patient costs than those in standard prison accommodation, reflecting the intensive clinical and security resources required. The Ministry said the transfer was made by officials acting on behalf of ministers and that Rudakubana will remain at Broadmoor until clinicians deem him fit to return to a prison setting.
The transfer comes after an allegation that, while held at Belmarsh in May, Rudakubana attacked a prison officer with boiling water. The Ministry did not provide further detail on that incident in its confirmation of the move.
Next Wednesday will mark two years since the Southport attack. The families of those killed and injured were referred to in the ministry statement, which reiterated condolences and underlined that sentencing remains unchanged by the transfer.
