Robert Jenrick demands Southport killer’s ‘shameful’ parents be deported from Britain

Dan McDonald
Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:49:51 +0000

Robert Jenrick has called for the parents of Axel Rudakubana to be deported to Rwanda following the publication of the Southport Inquiry’s findings.

The Reform UK Treasury spokesman accused Alphonse Rudakubana and Laetitia Muzayire of acting disgracefully and said they should face prosecution.

Speaking to the Telegraph's Daily T podcast, Mr Jenrick said: “The family of Axel Rudakubana have behaved shamefully.”

He acknowledged the pressures parents can face but said the couple knew their son was amassing weapons and feared for their own safety, yet failed to act.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

“These individuals should face criminal charges and they should be deported.

"They came here for asylum. They enjoyed the hospitality [and] generosity of the UK, and they've abused that,” he added.

The inquiry, chaired by Sir Adrian Fulford, found the parents bore “very considerable responsibility” for the attack on July 29, 2024.

The retired judge concluded that had they acted as they were morally obliged to, their son would not have been able to carry out the killings.

“This terrible event could have been and should have been prevented,” Sir Adrian said.

His two-volume report, running to more than 763 pages, described the parents’ “complete abandonment of responsibility” as “utterly unconscionable”.

The inquiry found the couple - who arrived in the UK in 2002 after fleeing the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide - allowed weapons to be kept in the home, failed to set boundaries and did not alert authorities to warning signs.

Three young girls were killed in the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport - Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Ex-detective marks 'dark day for Britain' as 'catastrophic' Southport Inquiry findings are released

Southport inquiry chairman declares 'this culture has to end' after uncovering pre-attack failures

Southport killer facing 'half a century in solitary confinement'

Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, also attempted to murder 10 other people and was handed a minimum sentence of 52 years.

The inquiry heard his parents were aware he had been stockpiling knives, viewing violent material online and making poison in his bedroom.

Sir Adrian also criticised the father for creating “significant obstructions to constructive engagement” with authorities.

The citizenship status of the parents remains unclear, though they are believed to hold British nationality.

Their son, now 19, was born in Cardiff and is a British citizen.

Under UK law, citizens cannot be deported - but the British Nationality Act 1981 allows citizenship to be revoked in certain circumstances, including where it is deemed in the public interest and the individual holds another nationality.

International law also prevents deportation if it would leave a person stateless.

Current guidance states citizenship can only be removed where individuals pose a threat to the UK or their actions amount to “very high harm”, such as terrorism, espionage or serious organised crime.

The families of the victims have also called for the parents to face criminal consequences.

Chris Walker, solicitor for the bereaved families, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There should be individual criminal accountability for the parents.”

He said existing laws make prosecution difficult but welcomed calls for reform.

Mr Walker also warned he would name social workers and police officers who failed to act if disciplinary action is not taken.

Merseyside Police, which previously concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge the parents, is now reviewing the inquiry’s findings.

The killer’s older brother Dion, 21, described him as a “ticking timebomb”, saying the family lived in constant fear of his violent outbursts.