Axel Rudakubana moved from Belmarsh to Broadmoor hospital

A 19-year-old man serving a life sentence for a fatal 2024 attack on a children's dance class has been transferred from a high-security prison to a psychiatric hospital, the Ministry of Justice confirmed on July 23, 2026. Axel Rudakubana was moved from HMP Belmarsh to Broadmoor high-security hospital following an independent clinical assessment under the Mental Health Act.

Officials stressed the transfer does not alter Rudakubana's 52-year minimum sentence, of which he will serve every day. He will remain in the psychiatric unit until assessed as fit to return to prison. The ministry stated that offenders who present an increased risk and cannot be managed safely in a prison environment due to mental disorders can be moved to such secure facilities, where they are treated as patients.

Rudakubana was sentenced in January 2025 after pleading guilty to murdering three girls and the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults. The attack occurred on July 29, 2024, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside. The victims were Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7.

The move is likely to provoke a strong reaction from victims'...