A British teen who admitted to stabbing three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England, has been sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in prison.

Eighteen-year-old Axel Rudakubana confessed to the fatal stabbings of the girls and attacked 10 others in July of the previous year, an event that horrified the nation and sparked protests across Britain.

Merseyside Police released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday, stating: “Today, Axel Rudakubana has received a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years for his vicious and terrifying assault on young girls and adults at Hart Space on July 29, 2024.”

The victims included 6-year-old Bebe King, 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and 9-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar. Rudakubana also inflicted serious injuries on eight other children and two adults.

“We honor Bebe, Elsie, and Alice, who will always be remembered, along with the children and adults who sustained serious injuries, and the young ones who endured trauma from witnessing that day,” the police statement added.

“While no legal decision can lessen the pain and trauma for the victims and their families, we hope that knowing he will be behind bars for a long time brings them some solace,” the statement concluded.

As reported by Reuters, prosecutor Deanna Heer informed the Liverpool Crown Court that Rudakubana had a disturbing obsession with violence and genocide. Two of his victims suffered injuries that were described as “sadistic” in nature.

Judge Julian Goose clarified that he could not impose a whole life sentence since Rudakubana was 17 at the time of the incident, though he expressed doubt regarding the teen’s potential for release.

During the hearing, Rudakubana was removed from the courtroom twice after claiming to feel unwell and ultimately chose not to return to hear his sentence.

The court was shown distressing video images of terrified girls escaping the premises. One injured girl collapsed outside, eliciting audible gasps and tears from spectators. Leanne Lucas, the yoga instructor who organized the event and was stabbed five times, stated in court, “He targeted us because we were female and seen as vulnerable.”

Further court evidence indicated that Rudakubana took a taxi to the dance class, which had 26 attendees. Police later found ricin poison and a PDF of a document titled “Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual” in his home in Banks.

After his arrest, Rudakubana reportedly told authorities, “I’m glad those kids are dead; it makes me happy.”

Taylor Swift Interacts with Victims at Eras Tour

During Taylor Swift’s August concert at Wembley Stadium for her Eras Tour, she met with some families affected by the Southport stabbing tragedy.

One mother, Sami Foster, shared a video montage on her now-private TikTok account featuring Swift’s performance of “Enchanted” from the 1989 World Tour. The mother captioned the video, “You drew stars around my scars 💫🥹 …. Heartfelt thanks to @TaylorSwift and her mom for creating such a magical night for us 🫶🏻. Your kindness brought Hope & Autumn pure joy last night & forever 💗💗💗.”

In the wake of the July 29 stabbings, Swift expressed her shock on Instagram, stating, “I am overwhelmed by the horror of yesterday’s attack. I’m just completely in disbelief. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever express my condolences to the families.”

Her post inspired a global community of Swift fans to come together, raising approximately 395,000 Euros (USD 411,694) for those affected.

Contributing: Sam Tobin and Michael Holden, Reuters

Follow Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West on Instagram, TikTok, and X as @BryanWestTV.