The Guardian view on the Southport murders: no easy answers after such senseless slaughter | Editorial
FOr the families of Axel Rodacobana’s victims Life imprisonment with a minimum term of 52 years He was extradited Thursday for the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Baby King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and 13 other crimes, and he can’t bring an end to their suffering but is drawing closer to a painful chapter. Until his guilty plea on Monday, the trial was expected to last weeks. The survivors’ ongoing struggle was painfully clear from the statements read in court. Many girls suffer life-changing injuries. Alice’s family described their bereavement as a “scar on the soul”. There are few precedents in Britain for such extreme violence to erupt at a gathering of young children.
Fortunately, there has been no repeat of the riots of last summer, when asylum seekers were subsequently targeted False allegations The killer – who was born in Cardiff – was himself an immigrant. By announcing three new investigations this week, Sir Keir Starmer has shown that he recognizes the political risks this issue raises, as well as its heavy toll.
Politicians, including Nigel Farage, have repeated unsubstantiated claims about the “cover-up”. Conservatives, as well as the government, must now throw their weight behind official investigations and reject inflammatory rumours. A review of terrorism legislation by Jonathan Hall KC would help ministers decide whether or not to do so. Expanding the definition of terrorism To include those who plan mass killings without a clear ideology. There are already warnings of unintended consequences. These include risks to civil liberties, as well as the risk that psychopathic individuals will be attracted to the possibility of increased notoriety.
Scrutiny of the counter-extremism program and the decision to prevent the involvement of Rudakupana, Despite three referralsconducted by another barrister, David Anderson KC. This should be as quick and comprehensive as possible. Other services, including schools and the police, were also aware of his knife-carrying and involvement in extreme violence. But it is worrying that the prevention safety net has failed.
Given the horror of the attack, the racial riots that followed, and the history of Rudakupana, it is not surprising that the government also ordered a public inquiry. These judge-led investigations have become the gold standard for accountability in Britain. They can be of great importance to victims and provide valuable evidence for anyone seeking to learn from past mistakes.
But such investigations are also often painfully slow. The Conservatives’ record on enacting recommendations, over more than 14 years in power, has been poor – as evidenced by the row over their party. Responding to your child sexual abuse inquiry. If the terms of these recommendations are to include political recommendations, it must be clear, at the outset, whether ministers are committed to adopting them. Neil Basu, the police’s former counter-terrorism chief, has already predicted that the Southport investigation will point the finger at under-resourced police and other services that are overwhelmed by demand and fail to communicate effectively. The danger is that money is spent on investigating why frontline services fail, but not on actually improving those services.
Strategies aimed at preventing violence are important in any society that values life and seeks to reduce physical aggression. There is a strong case for adding new projects to the existing and incomplete prevention plan, and adapting it in response to the evidence. Ministers are also right to insist on this Technology companies must take more responsibility For extremely violent content.
Nothing can ease the pain of the Southport families. Now they will be sad to learn that new efforts have begun to prevent other families from suffering similar tragedies.
