Johannesburg – A teenager accused of killing three teenage girls during a knife attack in northern England in July has been charged with terrorism and producing the deadly poison ricin, police and prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, is accused of killing three girls between the ages of six and nine at a Taylor Swift dance party in Southport, a murder that shocked the nation and sparked days of riots across the country.
Police said the incident was not considered terrorism-related but said that after a search of his home, Rudakubana has been charged with two other crimes: producing a deadly living poison, ricin, and possessing an al Qaeda training manual.
“We worked very hard with our colleagues to establish that there was a low to very low risk to the community – and I want to make that determination clear today,” said Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy.
He said no ricin was found at the scene of the Southport stabbing.
Get the latest country news
For news that affects Canada and the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you as they happen.
There was widespread unrest in the town after information spread on social media that the suspect was an immigrant, and unrest has spread across the country with attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers and places of worship.
At that time, the police tried to put an end to the rumors that caused this issue to arise, saying that the suspect was born in Britain and that terrorism is not there.
“You may have seen speculation online that the police decided not to appear in public. Absolutely not,” said Kennedy.
“I realize that new cases may cause speculation. The case against which Axel Rudakubana was charged under the Terrorism Act does not require the establishment of a motive. In order for the issue to be declared as a terrorist incident, motivation will have to be established.”
Rudakubana appeared in court in August after being indicted, but he had not yet pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.
-Reporting by Muvija M and Michael Holden, editing by William James and Kate Holton
