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A school staff member expressed exasperation regarding what she called “frightening bureaucracy” which blocked efforts to secure law enforcement, child welfare agencies, and psychological support in the case of the individual responsible for the Southport attack, an official investigation learned.

Violence-obsessed the teenager was reported to have attacked other children, attacked his family member, and was discovered in possession of blades between 2019 until July 2024, when he took the lives of three young victims inside a dance workshop.

Yet various bodies—such as the Prevent program, MI5, and child protection units—appeared to hand over the matter between them, as revealed during proceedings.

The lead counsel, lead counsel to the probe, stated it would focus during upcoming sessions regarding whether any agencies engaged actually “assumed ownership”.

He said this was “significant” how the then 17-year-old was believed to have deliberately targeted female victims upon deciding to attack the Taylor Swift-themed dance session.

Nine-year-old one victim, another girl, seven, and a third victim, aged six, were murdered while additional minors along with two grown-ups were critically harmed.

This investigation, being held at a civic building, had been set up to examine the perpetrator’s background, his engagements with relevant agencies and potential “failures” that could have stopped the “blatantly and deeply brutal” tragedy.

Delivering his initial address, Mr Moss shared the “bureaucratic” email was dispatched by a safeguarding lead, a safeguarding lead at Presfield High School, who had been trying to get the youth to return to classes over an extended period.

Mr Moss explained actions taken by educators “escalated significantly” on 21 March 2023 when the official wrote to a coworker explaining her efforts to reach out to welfare agencies, adolescent support units and law enforcement attempting to secure their involvement—to no avail.

It was further stated: “Short of breaking in I don’t know what would access this student.”

The inquiry’s counsel stated opening part of the investigation would focus upon a trio of “central themes”—whether organizations “assumed ownership or ownership” in this matter, whether any party was assessing his “complete risk profile” regarding danger, and what “fundamental change” might be required to make the system work.

Counsel noted the perpetrator’s online activity and procurement of weapons—among them machetes and hunting gear—remained relevant.

The probe heard that morning of the attack the teenager queried the online service X for “a violent event”—which displayed disturbing footage depicting Bishop Emmanuel assaulted in a church.

The counsel stated although the majority of his browsing data had been deleted, investigators uncovered he had shortly prior seen a document called “selection from Kamikaze death poetry”.

An electronic device found within his home contained downloads including content related to atrocities, torture and arms, a photo of a historical figure and a picture of a wolf dressed formally with the caption: “Simply become an independent actor bro”.

One document, that was included in a legal charge the defendant confessed to, was a study of a extremist handbook—but police further uncovered “anti-Islamic” material.

Within a separate gadget officials found pictures of “very disturbing” visuals such as graphic injuries, exploitation, female targeting and Nazi Germany.

‘Lack of radical views’

Proceedings learned his conduct within the school environment began to “worsen suddenly” beginning of secondary education, aged 13.

Staff from his school within the community had reported incidents including striking other children, and commenting “which explains why educators are attacked” upon receiving a detention.

He was expelled from standard classes during the autumn of 2019 when he acknowledged carrying a weapon to the premises stating he “planned to target a peer”.

Later that year, he revisited to the institution and attacked a student using a sports item while in possession of a knife in his bag.

This resulted in him pleading guilty to assault and holding a blade.

From 2019 and 2021, educators escalated to the official deradicalization unit Prevent on multiple occasions by teachers worried about remarks he shared, and internet searches including terms including “campus attacks” and terror attacks.

Yet whenever action was taken, even after a multi-agency meeting with intelligence bodies, the matters were closed by counter terrorism officers as no “radical beliefs” was identified.

The inquiry said during that time, different groups part of the council’s child protection office started and ended investigations regarding his situation.

Representatives revealed the killer’s father, Mr Rudakubana, asked for help from welfare professionals and psychological support when his behaviour became increasingly unmanageable.

On different occasions ahead of {