The teenager accused of fatally stabbing three young girls and injuring 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class remained silent in court on Wednesday while facing new charges related
to poison possession and terrorism.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, appeared remotely in Westminster Magistrates’ Court from Belmarsh prison in London. Wearing a gray sweatsuit, he pulled the top over his nose and refused to confirm his name or respond to any court inquiries.
"Mr. Rudakubana has chosen to stay silent in previous hearings as well," his defense lawyer, Stan Reiz, noted. "He has made a personal choice not to respond."
Previously charged with the murder of three girls and the stabbing of 10 others on July 29, Rudakubana now faces additional charges: producing a biological toxin, ricin, and possessing information useful to a terrorist, including an al-Qaida manual.
During a search of Rudakubana’s home after the July incident, Merseyside Police discovered the poison and a digital copy of the al-Qaida manual titled Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants on his computer.
Ricin, a highly lethal toxin derived from castor beans, can kill by disrupting protein production within cells and has no known antidote or vaccine.
Rudakubana was first charged in August for the stabbings in Southport, a community event that police emphasize is not currently considered an act of terrorism, pending further investigation into his motives.
The stabbings occurred at Hart Space, a community center in Southport, where about two dozen girls had gathered for the Taylor Swift-themed dance class during their first week of summer vacation. The victims included Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9; Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7; and Bebe King, 6. Rudakubana is also charged with 10 counts of attempted murder for the other children and adults injured, including the class instructor, Leanne Lucas, and bystander John Hayes, who both intervened to protect the children.
The attacks stirred social media and sparked anger from far-right activists, who circulated false claims that the suspect was an immigrant and asylum seeker, inflaming anti-immigrant sentiments. Hours after a community vigil for the victims, a mob attacked a mosque near the dance venue, throwing bricks and bottles at police and setting fire to a police van.
Riots subsequently broke out across England and Northern Ireland, leading to more than 1,200 arrests and numerous convictions.
Later, police clarified that Rudakubana, born in Wales to Rwandan parents, was raised Christian, according to British media.
The judge has transferred the new charges to Liverpool Crown Court, where prosecutors will request they be combined with the existing murder and attempted murder charges. Rudakubana is scheduled for a hearing in Liverpool on November 13. Photo by Dun.can, Wikimedia commons.