The head of the government’s counter-terror programme Prevent has reportedly stepped down after it was revealed that the Southport killer’s case was closed before the attack.
Michael Stewart has stepped down from his role at Prevent, following a review which revealed Axel Rudakubana’s case had been closed prematurely after he was referred three times between December 2019 and April 2021.
Rudakubana was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years earlier this year for murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 2024.
He also attempted to murder eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as well as class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
Three separate referrals were made to Prevent about Rudakubana’s behaviour in the years before the attack, as well as six separate calls to police.
Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar were murdered at a Taylor Swift themed dance class in Southport (Merseyside Police/PA) (PA Media)
Mr Stewart has been the boss of Prevent since September 2020 and was at the head of the counter-terrorism programme when the attack was carried out last year.
His departure, which has been reported by The Times, comes after a review found a number of failures into the handling of Rudakubana’s case.
The investigation found that though there was a sufficient risk to keep Rudakubana’s cases active – they were closed prematurely while too much focus was placed on a lack of distinct ideology.
Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent three times between December 2019, when he was aged 13 and April 2021, when he was 14. Those referrals were made by his schools.
The review said Rudakubana’s research of school shootings, talking about stabbing people and saying the terrorist attack on ‘MEN’, believed to refer to the Manchester Arena attack in 2017, “may have shown a real interest in terrorism”.
Axel Rudakubana was sentenced in January 2025 (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Media)
There had been sufficient evidence to refer Rudakubana to the next stage of the programme – called Channel- but this did not happen.
The report also highlighted spelling mistakes of Rudakubana’s name in referrals, although this did not stop the cases being linked.
Alongside the review of Prevent referrals, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that a public inquiry will be held to look at any “missed opportunities” to identify Rudakubana’s murderous intent.
Announcing the findings of the review in the House of Commons earlier this year, security minister Dan Jarvis told MPs that counter-terrorism officers were wrong to close his case “prematurely” when there was “sufficient concern” to keep it open.
Mr Jarvis said: “The review concluded that too much focus was placed on the absence of a distinct ideology, to the detriment of considering the perpetrator’s susceptibility, grievances and complex needs.”
The Home Office does not comment on internal staffing.