Axel Rudakubana transferred to Broadmoor Secure Hospital
Axel Rudakubana, the Southport killer, has been transferred from Belmarsh prison to Broadmoor Secure Hospital after being deemed unmanageable.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Axel Rudakubana, the 19-year-old convicted of murdering three young girls in Southport, has been transferred from Belmarsh prison to Broadmoor Secure Hospital. The move follows an independent clinical assessment under the Mental Health Act. The Ministry of Justice confirmed the transfer, saying Rudakubana will remain locked up and is unlikely ever to be released.
Rudakubana was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years for the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, six, during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024. He also attempted to murder eight other children and two adults. The judge described the attack as evil.
The transfer has angered the families of his victims. A lawyer representing them said the news was devastating, especially as it comes just before the second anniversary of the attack. They accused Rudakubana of trying to manipulate the system. The Prison Officers Association echoed that view, saying he was gaming the system. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the decision outrageous and demanded it be reversed.
Rudakubana had been held at Belmarsh, a Category A prison in south-east London. But officials decided he could no longer be managed safely there. Last year, he allegedly attacked a prison officer with boiling water. The cost of keeping him at Broadmoor is estimated at up to 300,000 pounds a year, three times the cost of a prison place.
Broadmoor is a high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire that has housed notorious criminals such as Ronnie Kray, Peter Sutcliffe and Charles Bronson. The Ministry of Justice stressed that it is a locked medical facility, not a place of freedom. Rudakubana will be transferred back to prison when doctors decide he no longer needs hospital treatment.
During his trial, Rudakubana was assessed as fit to stand trial. His own defence lawyer did not submit a psychiatric report. The families' lawyers have questioned the diagnosis that led to the transfer and are urgently seeking a meeting with the Director of Public Protection.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axel Rudakubana was transferred from Belmarsh prison to Broadmoor Secure Hospital after a clinical assessment under the Mental Health Act. | · | |||||
| Rudakubana allegedly attacked a prison officer with boiling water in May 2025. | · | · | · | |||
| The families' lawyer accused Rudakubana of trying to manipulate the system. | · | · | · | |||
| Rudakubana will be transferred back to prison when he no longer requires hospital treatment. | · | · | · | · | ||
| The families' lawyer said the transfer is an attempt to manipulate the system. | · | · | · | · | ||
| The Ministry of Justice said Rudakubana will remain locked up and is unlikely to ever be released. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Broadmoor once housed Ronnie Kray, Peter Sutcliffe and Charles Bronson. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Nigel Farage said the decision to transfer Rudakubana must be reversed. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Rudakubana is serving a 52-year sentence for the murders. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Rudakubana tried to get in a taxi with a knife about a week before the attack. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Rudakubana was assessed as fit to stand trial in January last year. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The cost of keeping Rudakubana at Broadmoor could be 300,000 pounds a year, three times the cost of prison. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News focused on the perceived leniency of the transfer and the failures of the system, with hosts expressing strong personal views including support for the death penalty. The channel highlighted the killer's history of violence and alleged missed warnings, framing the move as a manipulation of the system.
- “He was unable to be managed safely in one of Britain's most secure prisons that houses Britain's most dangerous prisoners.”
- “I think that he should have been executed.”
- “The family seems to think he's just gaming the system here, Anna.”
Sky News provided a balanced report focusing on the clinical reasons for the transfer and the families' distress. They included statements from the families' lawyer, Nigel Farage, and the Prison Officers Association, and stressed that the move does not change the sentence.
- “the three families we represent have been made aware of this development in the last 36 hours. And it is safe to say that whilst this news would devastate them at any time, the fact that this has occurred as we approach the second anniversary, in our view, is another move by Axel Rudakubana who would appear to be attempting once again to manipulate the system.”
- “This outrageous decision must be reversed.”
- “He will still be locked up, he'll still be monitored 24-7”
5 News gave a brief summary, focusing on the families' lawyer's claim of manipulation and also covering the unrelated opening of No.10 North. The report was concise and factual without additional commentary.
- “A lawyer for their families claims the transfer is another attempt by Rudakubana to manipulate the system.”
BBC One West highlighted the financial cost of the transfer and the boiling water incident, while also reporting the families' devastation and the Ministry of Justice's reassurance. The report included a detailed timeline of the attack and the legal basis for the move.
- “where the cost of keeping him could reach 300,000 pounds a year that's three times more than if he had stayed in jail”
- “Last year at Belmarsh. He allegedly attacked a prison officer with boiling water”
- “The Ministry of Justice says Broadmoor is a locked medical facility Not a place of freedom”
ITV News focused on the legal and procedural aspects, including the clinical assessment and the law requiring transfer back to prison. They also reported the boiling water incident and the families' urgent request for a meeting with authorities.
- “we know that in May last year, there was an investigation after he allegedly attacked a prison officer with boiling water.”
- “the law states that he should be transferred back there when he no longer requires hospital treatment.”
- “They're now urgently seeking a meeting with authorities to better understand the situation.”
Channel 4 emphasised the historical notoriety of Broadmoor and the families' lawyers questioning the diagnosis. They reported the transfer date and the families' concern about extra privileges, framing the move as potentially lenient.
- “the high security hospital that once housed Ronnie Kray, Peter Sutcliffe and Charles Bronson.”
- “we question the potency of that diagnosis in all honesty”
- “he's going to avoid his prison sentence by having extra privileges in a hospital when he should be serving his sentence in a cell.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.