What is Axel Rudakubana accused of and why does motive matter?

The teenager accused of killing three girls at a dance class in Southport has been charged with a terror crime, but the knife attack has not been declared a terrorist incident.

According to the police, in order to classify the attack as terrorism, the motivation must be determined.

The force has warned people not to speculate on the motive for the Taylor Swift-themed classroom attack on July 29, which killed Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.

The PA news agency looks at the charges Axel Rudakubana is facing and how incidents are being labeled as terrorism.

– What is Axel Rudakubana accused of?

The 18-year-old is accused of the murders of Alice, Bebe and Elsie, as well as the attempted murders of eight other children, instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes, as well as possession of a knife.

On Tuesday, he was charged with the additional offenses of production of a biological poison, Ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing to commit a terrorist act.

– What does the terror charge relate to?

Following searches of Rudakubana’s home in Banks, Lancashire, in the days after the attack, police found a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual.

He is accused of possessing it between August 29, 2021 and July 30, 2024.

He has been charged under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

At a press conference Tuesday, Police Chief Serena Kennedy said no motive was necessary for the charges.

– Is Ricine Production a Terror Crime?

No, Rudakubana has been charged with producing the poison under section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974.

– What about the attack?

The attack has not been classified as a terrorist incident by anti-terrorist police.

Ms Kennedy said: “For a case to be labeled a terrorist incident, the motivation must be established.

“We strongly advise caution against anyone speculating about motivation in this case.

“The criminal case against Axel Rudakubana is ongoing and he is entitled to a fair trial.”

– Are the anti-terrorist police involved?

On the day of the attack, Ms Kennedy confirmed that Counter Terrorism Policing North West had offered support, although the motivation for the stabbings remained unclear and it was not being treated as a terrorist attack.

Armed forces can ask counter-terrorism police to assist with investigations into major incidents from the outset, so they have access to more resources and tactics to continue investigations quickly.

This may include forensic examination of the scene and reviewing digital devices found as part of the investigation.

– What normally happens before an incident is classified as terrorism?

Establishing the circumstances of the incident is often complicated and will depend on the nature of the incident and what the investigation reveals. Therefore, it may take some time before an attack is labeled as terrorism, especially if there is no immediately clear motivation or ideology for the incident.

Perpetrators with mixed ideologies, which can be complicated to interpret, may be one of the reasons why it can take some time to identify the perpetrators.

Not all violent incidents, even some atrocities involving multiple victims, are declared terrorist attacks.

Cases of extreme violence in which hatred is a factor more often than not meet the legal definition of terrorism.