The parents of all three girls who died during an horrific knife attack in Southport decided not to attend the formal opening of their inquests this morning, as details of their deaths were made public. Bebe King, six and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died at the Taylor Swift summer holiday dance class on Monday, July 29. Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, later died in hospital.
Today, a coroner paid tribute to the girls who were "full of life and energy". Their individual inquests were formally opened at Bootle Town Hall in Merseyside by senior coroner Julie Goulding. She told the hearing it was “impossible to adequately articulate the devastating lifelong effects of the truly tragic events of Monday, July 29 have had and will continue to have on the parents, families and friends of Elsie, Bebe and Alice, who cruelly lost there young lives in such horrific circumstances.
“The three young children were full of life and energy and will be missed beyond any description my woefully inadequate words may attempt to describe. I therefore offer my deepest condolences to Elsie, Bebe and Alice’s parents, families and friends and those heartfelt condolences of all of my staff here at the coroner’s court." The coroner then adjourned all three hearings.
Axel Rudakubana, 17, from Lancashire, is set to stand trial next year after being charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Family, friends and members of the .