The 17-year-old boy charged with the murder of three girls in the Southport knife attack has been named as Axel Rudakubana after a judge lifted reporting restrictions.
The teenager’s name had not been released due to his age, but after appearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Andrew Menary KC made the ruling.
Rudakubana’s anonymity would have been lost when he turns 18 on Wednesday 8 August.
Judge Menary said: “Continuing to prevent the full reporting has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation, in a vacuum.”
He added: “Whilst I accept it is exceptional given his age, principally because he is 18 in six days time I do not make an order under section 45.”
The 17-year-old has been charged with the murder of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. Eight other children suffered knife wounds – five of them left in a critical condition, while two adults were also critically hurt.
Rudakubana was charged with the attempted murder of two adults, yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes, as well as the attempted murder of the eight children who cannot be named for legal reasons.
He is also charged with possession of a bladed article, a curved kitchen knife, the court heard.
Earlier on Thursday the teenager, from Banks in Lancashire, appeared in the dock at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court for a preliminary hearing.
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