Southport Killer Probed for Prison Officer Attack

Axel Rudakubana, the 18-year-old convicted of murdering three girls and attempting to kill ten others at a Taylor Swift-themed workshop in Southport, is under investigation for allegedly pouring boiling water over a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh. The officer was hospitalized as a precaution but discharged the same day and is expected to return to work soon. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick criticized the incident as the third major security failure at Belmarsh and called for urgent government intervention. Ministry of Justice data show assaults on prison staff in England and Wales reached a decade-high in 2024, with over 10,600 cases. The Justice Secretary has announced trials of Tasers and a review of body armor use for prison staff, while an official inquiry into the Southport murders continues. Authorities reaffirmed a zero-tolerance policy for prison violence and pledged to seek the strongest punishments for such attacks.