Teen accused of UK Southport murders faces new ‘terrorism’ charge

Police say after new charges that Southport stabbings were still not being treated as ‘terrorist related’.

A teenager accused of murdering three young girls in a knife attack in northern England in July has been charged with production of the deadly poison ricin and a “terrorism” offence.

Axel Rudakubana, who is accused of killing girls aged between six and nine at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport, has also been has also been charged with production of the lethal biological toxin ricin and possession of an al-Qaeda training manual.

The 18-year-old appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court by videolink from Belmarsh Prison on Wednesday, wearing a grey prison-issue tracksuit, with his sweatshirt held over his face.

He did not answer when asked to confirm his name and has yet to enter any pleas to charges of murder and attempted murder.

Rudakubana is expected to next appear at Liverpool Crown Court on November 13, when he may be asked to enter his pleas.

Police said after the new charges were made public that the stabbings were still not being treated as “terrorist related”. Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said no ricin was found at the scene.

Riots broke out in Southport and across the United Kingdom in the weeks following the incident, after false reports spread on social media that the suspected killer was a Muslim migrant.

Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice da Silva Aguiar (left to right) were victims of a knife attack during a dance event in Southport [File: Merseyside Police/Reuters]

The disturbances included attacks on mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers, as police denied a terrorism link and sought to quash rumours that the suspect was a migrant by saying he had been born in Britain.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s political rivals questioned whether a “cover-up” took place after the fresh charges included terrorism.

Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick said he was concerned that facts may have been withheld from the public. “Any suggestion of a cover-up will permanently damage public trust in whether we’re being told the truth about crime in our country,” he said.

Starmer’s office said it was important that the police and Crown Prosecution Service were allowed to do their jobs and establish the facts.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies