EWJ August 62 2025 web - Journal - Page 19
Southport Murders - Inquiry
Process, Legal Duties and Policy
Implications Explained
by Georgina Rothwell - www.brabners.com
The Southport Inquiry was launched in response to
one of the most harrowing incidents in recent UK history — the murder of three young girls during a children’s dance class in July 2024. The attack exposed
potential failings in the UK’s safeguarding and
counter-extremism systems.
officials and local safeguarding boards. Each
participant is expected to provide evidence and
respond to questions relevant to their role in the
events leading up to the attack.
In addition to the designated core participants, the
Southport Inquiry is drawing on evidence from a
wider network of public bodies and institutions that
had contact with the perpetrator prior to the attack.
These non-core participants include organisations
such as MI5, Counter-Terrorism Policing, NHS England, local education providers, youth offending
teams and mental health services. While not formally
granted core participant status at this time, these bodies will be expected to provide documents, internal
communications and witness statements. In some
cases, individuals from these organisations may also
be called to give oral testimony.
In January 2025, the perpetrator was sentenced to a
minimum of 52 years in prison after pleading guilty to
multiple charges including murder, attempted
murder and terrorism offences.
In the aftermath, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper
commissioned a statutory public inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005. The Inquiry aims to uncover the
facts, identify any institutional failings and recommend reforms to prevent similar tragedies from
occurring in the future.
Here, Georgina Rothwell from our specialist public
inquiries team explains how the Southport Inquiry is
structured, the questions it’s expected to answer and
the likely legal and policy implications it may have.
The Inquiry’s ability to compel evidence ensures that
even non-core participants are subject to rigorous
scrutiny and held to the same standards of transparency and accountability as core participants.
Structure & process
The Inquiry is being conducted in two phases. The
first — which began in April 2025 — focuses on the
immediate circumstances of the attack. This includes
the actions of the Police, emergency services and other
public bodies that had prior contact with the perpetrator. The second phase — expected to commence
in autumn 2025 — will examine broader systemic issues such as youth radicalisation, the effectiveness of
the Prevent programme and inter-agency safeguarding protocols.
Lines of inquiry & anticipated questions
Each core participant will face detailed scrutiny
tailored to their responsibilities. While the Inquiry
hasn’t yet confirmed the full scope of its questioning,
it’s expected that both core participants and relevant
non-core institutions will be subject to detailed
scrutiny aligned with their statutory responsibilities
and operational involvement.
The potential lines of inquiry and thematic areas that
may be explored — based on the Inquiry’s stated
remit and the public interest concerns raised to date
— include:
Police operational response
The Police may be asked to account for their
operational response to the incident, any prior intelligence on the perpetrator and whether any opportunities for intervention were missed. The Inquiry will
likely examine how information was shared between
Merseyside Police and Lancashire Constabulary and
whether protocols were followed.
The process for the Inquiry follows a structured legal
framework that began with preliminary hearings to
establish procedural rules and designate core participants. Evidence is currently being gathered through
document disclosure, witness statements and expert
reports. Public hearings are also being held to allow
witnesses to give oral evidence under oath, with legal
representatives permitted to cross-examine. The Inquiry will conclude with a final report — expected in
early 2026 — which will include findings of fact and
recommendations for reform.
Prevent referral handling
Prevent Programme Officials are likely to face
questions regarding the handling of multiple referrals
concerning the perpetrator. The Inquiry may explore
the adequacy of risk assessments, the decision-making
process behind non-escalation and the governance
and oversight structures in place at the time. It’s also
Participants & roles
Several key institutions and individuals have been
designated as core participants. These include the
families of the victims, Merseyside Police, Lancashire
Constabulary, the Home Office, Prevent programme
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
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AUGUST/SEPT 2025
