Alphonse Rudakubana says he was ‘scared’ of his son and did not oversee his internet activity as a result
The father of Axel Rudakubana has told the inquiry into the 2024 Southport attack that his failure to deal with his son’s violent behaviour had “catastrophic consequences, for which I am desperately sorry”.
Alphonse Rudakubana said he had been “very scared” of his son and avoided confrontation with him, which meant he did not oversee the teenager’s internet activity. His son was regularly searching online for violent material and went on to order a stockpile of weapons.
“The combination of fear and the desire to avoid confrontation by not inquiring into his activities and accepting his punishments undoubtedly prevented me from doing things that would be expected of a parent, such as to monitor his internet activity,” he said in a written statement. “This had catastrophic consequences, for which I am desperately sorry.”
Giving evidence to the inquiry at Liverpool town hall via video link on Wednesday, Alphonse Rudakubana said he accepted his “share of the responsibility” for his son’s actions, which included stabbing three young girls to death at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club.
