This is why the man charged with the Southport attack has been allowed to be named

The man charged with the murder of three girls after the knife attack in Southport has been named as 17 year old Axel Muganwa Rudakubana.

The suspect, born 7th August 2006, is in court today and has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. The judge has ordered he be remanded in youth custody.

So why has the suspect now been allowed to be named?

The suspect has previously had his identity hidden, due to a law that anyone under the age of 18 in the UK is still recognised as a child and so suspects under 18 receive automatic anonymity in all UK court cases, except for in exceptional circumstances.

But because Axel Muganwa Rudakubana turns 18 in six days, the judge today decided to name him. After hearing submissions from the media in court, Judge Andrew Menary KC declined to make an order to conceal his identity. The judge listened to legal argument for 20 minutes before ruling that Rudakubana’s identity could be revealed.

The judge said he had to balance the risk to the suspect’s family and the risk to him in custody with the public interest accurately reporting his identity.

He added: “By continuing to prevent full reporting at this stage has the disadvantage of allowing others who are up to mischief to continue to spread misinformation in a vacuum and runs the risk that when the information becomes publicly available in six days’ time, that will provide an additional excuse for a fresh round of public disorder.

“Allowing full reporting will undoubtedly remove some of the misreporting as to the identity of the defendant.”

Via YouTube

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“Whilst I accept it is exceptional given his age, principally because he is 18 in six days’ time, I do not make an order under section 45. Continuing to prevent the full reporting has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation, in a vacuum.”

The 17-year-old, who turns 18 in six days time, was born to Rwandan parents in Cardiff before moving to the village of Banks in Lancashire. He is accused of carrying out the attack that killed Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. Rudakubana is also accused of the attempted murders of eight more children, along with dance teacher Leanne Lucas, 35, and businessman John Hayes.

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