The teenager charged with murder following a stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the U.K. has been sentenced.
Eighteen-year-old Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to 52 years in prison, according to the Associated Press.
Judge Julian Goose had called the incident, per the outlet, “the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious crime.” Goose further said that Rudakubana couldn’t be sentenced to life without parole since he was under 18 at the time of the crime.
A mass stabbing took place at a Swift-themed dance and yoga class in Southport, England in July 2024. Local police arrested Rudakubana, who was 17, that same month and charged him with murder after three children died. More were injured.
Taylor Swift shared her condolences after a stabbing left two children dead at a dance class themed around her music. “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock,” Swift, 34, wrote via her Instagram Story on Tuesday, July 30. “The loss of life and innocence, […]
The event was unaffiliated with the 35-year-old pop star, who sent her condolences.
“The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock,” Swift, who brought her Eras Tour to England in June and August 2024, wrote via her Instagram Story at the time. “The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders.”
She concluded, “These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”
Members of the British royal family have also spoken out regarding the tragedy.
“As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through,” Prince William and his wife, Princess Kate Middleton, wrote in a social media statement. “We send our love, thoughts and prayers to all those involved in this horrid and heinous attack.”
Taylor Swift is known for going the extra mile for her fans, and a recent Eras Tour stop at Wembley Stadium is further proof. “You drew stars around my scars,” read the caption of a TikTok video uploaded by Sami Foster, a mother of young Swifties, on Sunday, August 18. “The biggest thankyou to @Taylor […]
They added, “Thank you also to the emergency responders who, despite being met with the most horrific scenes, demonstrated compassion and professionalism when your community needed you most.”
William, 42, and Kate, 43, later visited first responders who assisted the attack victims in October 2024. It was the Princess of Wales’ first public appearance since completing chemotherapy. (Kate was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in early 2024 and is now in remission.)
William’s father, King Charles III, also held a private audience with survivors and their families at Clarence House.
The royals also teamed up with the Blue Light Card Foundation to set up a National Police and Wellbeing Service, providing donations to those needing psychological and physical rehab following the attack.
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