The loved ones of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, said promises will ring hollow if there is no accountability after Shabana Mahmood vowed lessons will be learned11:51, 02 Jul 2026Updated 19:35, 02 Jul 2026Families of the Southport murder victims has said those who failed to stop evil killer Axel Rudakubana must lose their jobs.‌The loved ones of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, said that statements of regret will ring "hollow" if those responsible stay in post. It comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood vowed to make sure a damning report into the sickening atrocity is a turning point.‌The Home Secretary said she accepted the recommendations from the first phase of the Southport Inquiry, which found the killings could and should have been prevented. Rudakubana killed the three schoolgirls and attempted to murder eight more children and three adults in the frenzied knife attack in July 2024.‌In a statement a solicitor representing the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie, Chris Walker, of law firm Bond Turner, said: “The Government's response reflects significant progress against the families' key asks, particularly through its commitment to legislate against the planning of mass casualty attacks and its focus on the emerging threat of non-ideological extreme violence.“However, important questions remain around legal duties to report known threats and how accountability for institutional and individual failings will be secured."‌He added: “Public statements of regret are hollow if there is no individual accountability, if those people who remain in their position continue to make the same basic mistakes, then this risks similar atrocities from happening. Those individuals who failed the most, must lose their jobs. Otherwise the public will have no confidence that an atrocity like this will be prevented from occurring again."On Thursday taxi driver Gary Poland, who dropped Rudakubana off and drove away as the attack unfolded had his taxi licence revoked. The families said they welcomed the decision.They continued: "There are several individuals whose actions fell short of expected professional standards and, had different decisions been made, we may not be where we are today. The Government has been clear that the ‘missed opportunities’ identified were unacceptable.‌"The families and I firmly believe that, alongside action and legal reform to prevent this kind of attack from ever happening again, there must also be accountability for those who failed to act appropriately."Ms Mahmood stated: "I am clear that the Inquiry must act as a turning point. In honour of the victims, their families and all affected, meaningful change must now follow."Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, attacked a group of children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024. Last year he was jailed for a minimum of 52 years.‌Ms Mahmood warned that Britain must face up to the reality that there are others like him. She said: "We have already taken action to strengthen our response in several areas, including Prevent (the government's counter-terrorism prevention programme), online safety and knife crime."These are important steps – and they will make a difference. But we know we must go further. That includes facing up to the reality that the perpetrator of this horrendous crime is not unique.‌"Across this country, we face a threat from individuals who, while not driven by any clear ideology, are intent on conducting acts of extreme violence. Often, they are influenced by material and communities they encounter in dark corners of the online world."We must do more to understand this threat and adapt our response accordingly."The govenment's response revealed that officials are looking at whether to create a new legal requirement for parents to warn about or report serious criminality. It said: "The government is exploring this recommendation with the Law Commission."‌The inquiry criticised the killer's parents, saying he would not have been free to kill if they had done "what they morally ought to have done".Inquiry chairman Sir Adrian Fulford slammed police, NHS trusts and a local authority who passed the buck between each other - which meant warnings about Rudakubana's behaviour never led to meaningful action.He was referred to the Prevent programme three times, but the case was prematurely closed each time. In the government's response, the Home Secretary said a "culture of complacency" had been created, with a merry-go-round of agencies not taking responsibility for the dangers the killer posed.‌The Home Secretary said: “The Southport Inquiry identified fundamental failings, across many of our public services, in the years leading up to July 2024. These devastating failures led to the senseless killing of three young girls and violent attacks on others.“My thoughts today are first and foremost with the families and friends of Bebe, Elsie and Alice and all the victims of that awful day. We owe it to them to right these wrongs.“For that reason, we have accepted Sir Adrian’s recommendations for central government in full. My department will now drive this work across government, with the urgency it deserves.Article continues below“We will do whatever is needed to protect the public.” Nicola Ryan-Donnelly, of Fletchers Solicitors, which represents the families of 22 survivors, said: "Our clients are pleased that the Government have accepted all the recommendations outlined by the inquiry chair, but the parents of these girls are yet to see hard evidence of any real change."Much of today's report outlines consultations and desires to amend policies or guidance across multiple agencies, but until the work is done these are just promises."