A senior police official acknowledged Tuesday that there is currently no national framework in place to manage young individuals exhibiting a fixation on violence, raising concerns about gaps in preventing mass casualty incidents. The testimony came during the ongoing Southport Inquiry into the 2024 stabbing attack carried out by Axel Rudakubana, who, at age 17, fatally wounded three girls and seriously injured ten others.

Rudakubana’s case has highlighted limitations in existing preventive measures. Despite exhibiting violent tendencies, he was declined intervention by the Prevent deradicalisation program because his motives did not align with far-right or Islamist extremist ideologies. This exclusion underscored a significant oversight in addressing threats posed by violence fixated individuals (VFIs) who do not fit the conventional profiles targeted by counter-terrorism efforts.

Vicki Evans, a senior figure within counter-terror police, told the inquiry that while referrals of VFIs to Prevent tripled last year, authorities lack a comprehensive national strategy to effectively assess and mitigate the risks these individuals pose. Evans warned that applying temporary or superficial solutions to the problem risks leaving it unaddressed, which could increase vulnerability to future attacks.

The testimony signals an urgent need for revised policies that extend beyond current ideological frameworks and recognize the broader spectrum of violence fixation. Officials pointed to the challenges in identifying and managing young people who may pose a threat absent a detectable extremist agenda, indicating that the risk landscape is evolving.

The inquiry continues to examine how authorities can improve early intervention and risk assessment protocols to prevent similar tragedies and better safeguard communities.