THE GRIEVING families of the three girls murdered by Axel Rudakubana have told of how they are “stuck in a horror movie”.
Taylor Swift fans Bebe King, six, Eslie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Da silva Aguiar, nine, died after being attacked by the deranged teenager at a Taylor Swift workshop on July 29 last year.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, is due to be sentenced for the murders[/caption]
A prison van believed to contain Rudakubana arriving at Liverpool Crown Court[/caption]
Protesters stand in front a banner promoting the far-right group Patriotic Alternative[/caption]
The families of the victims today gave statements in court detailing the harrowing impact the attack has had on their lives.
The parents of nine-year-old Alice described July 29 as “the most tragic day of our lives”.
They now live “in a state of permanent numbness” following the death of their daughter.
The parents told the court: “Our dream girl has been taken away in such a horrible, undeserving way that it shattered our souls.
“We were so lucky and privileged to have her. Every day felt like a gift.”
They added: “Living without Alice is not living at all. It’s a state of permanent numbness.
“We can’t see her picture and videos, they take us back to a time when we were so happy and now we’re in constant pain.”
Jenny Stancombe, the mum of Elsie Dot, said she lost her daughter because of an act of “pure evil”.
She added: “The nature of your actions is beyond contempt. You deliberately chose that place, fully aware that there would be no parents present, fully aware that those girls were vulnerable and unable to protect themselves.
“This was not an act of impulse, it was premeditated. You chose that place, that time and those circumstances, knowing that when we arrived all we would see was the aftermath of the devastation caused.”
She continued: “What you did was not only cruel and pure evil; it was the act of a coward.
“Though you have stolen our daughter from us, you will not take away our determination to honour her memory, we will carry her love, positivity and her legacy forward, no matter how much pain you have caused.”
The families have also called for well-wishers to remember the happy lives they lived before that day – and not to focus on the horrific nature of their deaths.
And they demanded that the deaths of the girls are not used to “fuel hatred and sensationalism” while Bebe’s mum said: “Bebe was full of joy, light and love, and it is this that should be her legacy.”
Elsie’s mum Jenni said after Rudakubana was sentenced: “We feel strongly that the graphic details surrounding Elsie’s injuries serve no purpose other than to sensationalise a tragedy.
“If such information were reported, it would become a permanent part of public record, potentially exposing Elsie’s younger sibling to it as she grows older.
“Such exposure would only deepen the trauma she has already endured, and as her parents, there is only so much we can do to shield her from this harm if it is perpetuated indefinitely by being online…
“Should graphic details be publicised further, they are likely to be exploited on unregulated platforms such as X and TikTok, fuelling hatred and sensationalism while undermining Elsie’s dignity.
“This is something no family should have to endure, and we are determined to do everything in our power to protect Elsie’s sister and her memory.”
Bebe’s mum, who cannot be named for legal reasons, added: “The profound impact of reporting our daughter’s injuries should be considered before these deeply distressing details are shared.
“We will always live our lives in the shadows of this heinous crime. Our children’s names have already been used to amplify the brutality of what occurred, generating shock and hatred.
“This has only compounded our grief and made our loss harder to bear.
“Bebe was full of joy, light and love, and it is this that should be her legacy.”
Alice’s mum Alexandra said: “We want Alice’s image to remain one of innocence, her happy childhood, her love for school and her passion for dance.
“That’s who she was, that’s how everyone remembers her and we should paint a picture of her life, not her struggles.”
Solicitor Sara Stanger, who represents the families of the three girls, said: “The families of the bereaved children are relieved that the defendant entered guilty pleas on the first morning of the criminal trial, sparing them the anguish of enduring the graphic evidence of Rudakubana’s horrific attack.
“They welcome the government’s swift decision to establish a Public Inquiry into the circumstances leading to that tragic day in July 2024.
“It is incomprehensible how such a brutal and senseless act of violence could occur in a room filled with innocent children.
“The families hope that by thoroughly identifying and addressing the systemic failures that preceded the attack and understanding where critical opportunities to prevent it were missed, meaningful lessons can be learned to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated.
“The families would all like to remind the members of the press that as well as being the victims of Axel Rudakubana the girls were real people with loving families who have been gravely affected by their deaths.
“Those families, and all the affected families, will have to live with the trauma of what happened to them on 29 July 2024 for the rest of their lives.
“The families want to remember their daughters for the lives that they lived, not for how they died.
“The full truth about these events will emerge as time passes.
“The families believe that there is brutality enough in that without focusing on the medical details of how three young girls died, or how ten others were injured.”
Elsie Dot Stancombe[/caption]
Bebe King[/caption]
Alice da Silva Aguiar[/caption]
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