Axel Rudakubana, an 18-year-old teenager from northwest England, is facing new poison and terror charges in addition to the murder charges he already faces for killing three girls and stabbing 10 others in a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Rudakubana has been charged with producing a lethal toxin called ricin and possessing a terrorist manual titled “Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants.” The police found ricin at Rudakubana’s house during a search after his arrest, and he refused to speak or answer any questions during his court appearances.
The teenager had previously been charged with three counts of murder of young girls and the attempted murder of 10 others. Rudakubana, born to Rwandan parents in Wales, was apprehended at the scene of the stabbings following the incident. In the aftermath of the murders, misinformation spread on social media falsely identifying the attacker as an asylum seeker, leading to violent unrest and riots across England and Northern Ireland. More than 1,200 people were arrested for their involvement in the disorder related to these events.
The murder of the three girls is not being treated as a terrorist incident, according to Merseyside Police chief constable Serena Kennedy, who urged people not to speculate about the motivations in the case. The two candidates for the leadership of the opposition Conservative Party have questioned whether a “cover-up” occurred regarding the new terrorism charge against Rudakubana. Authorities have been urged to let the police and Crown Prosecution Service do their jobs and for a trial to establish the facts in the case.
Following the announcement of the new charges, protests were held in central London in support of far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who has been accused of spreading misinformation leading to the riots following the dance class incident. Robinson was jailed on Monday for contempt of court on separate charges. Protestors also showed support for Peter Lynch, who recently died in prison after being jailed for leading a violent mob to a hotel housing asylum seekers and making racist remarks to the police. Lynch had suffered a heart attack earlier in the year and had diabetes.
