Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Matthew Weaver and Aletha Adu

Southport murders: No 10 rejects calls to change law on whole-life sentences

Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice da Silva Aguiar.
From left: Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice da Silva Aguiar. Photograph: Merseyside police

Downing Street has rejected calls for sentencing changes, saying it does not have the power to extend whole-life sentences to killers aged under 18 because of international law.

Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to 52 years in prison on Thursday for the murder of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, at a dance class last July, and the attempted murder of eight others, as well as two adults who tried to save them.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.