Axel Rudakubana, the teenager responsible for the murder of three young girls at a dance class in Southport, was referred to Prevent, the UK government's counter-extremism programme, on three separate occasions, according to information obtained by The Guardian.

The referrals, beginning when Rudakubana was 13, were sparked by concerns regarding his interest in violent incidents, including school massacres.

Prevent is the UK's national programme aimed at identifying individuals at risk of radicalization and diverting them from committing acts of violence.

Individuals referred to Prevent undergo assessment to determine the threat level they pose and to establish whether intervention is necessary.

Rudakubana's first referral to Prevent occurred in 2019, followed by two additional referrals in 2021 while he was still a schoolchild in Lancashire.

Despite assessments indicating his interest in violent themes, such as school massacres and attacks in Libya, Rudakubana was adjudged not to pose a terrorism threat, as he did not appear to be driven by extremist ideologies.

In July, Rudakubana attacked a dance class, resulting in the deaths of three girls aged nine, seven, and six, and injuring eight other children and two adults.

Following the incident, he pleaded guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder, a terrorism offence involving the possession of an al-Qaida training manual, and production of the biological toxin ricin.

Police investigations did not find evidence of a terrorist ideology motivating Rudakubana's actions at the dance class, which was held during a Taylor Swift-themed event.

In response to the attack and learning of his history with Prevent, an emergency review into how his case was handled was conducted.

The review found that Prevent's processes were followed correctly according to the guidelines at that time.

Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and grew up in Banks, Lancashire.

His early Prevent referral was triggered by his engagement with material on US school massacres while using school computers.

Following the Southport attack, the UK Home Secretary announced impending changes to the Prevent programme aiming to address any shortcomings.

These include potentially adapting the criteria to include individuals who display an interest in violence, even absent a clear ideological stance.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, emphasized the need for clarity on whether Prevent should engage with cases lacking a defined ideology but exhibiting concerning behavior.

Rudakubana's history also includes bringing a knife to school and assaulting a peer, showing a progression of problematic behavior flagged by the Lancashire Child Safeguarding Partnership.

The partnership noted Rudakubana's ongoing challenges with emotional and behavioral issues, leading to support from various services such as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services.

A review examining the interactions between Rudakubana and different agencies from 2019 is underway, led by the Lancashire Child Safeguarding Partnership.

Counter-terrorism policing maintains that information regarding Rudakubana's Prevent referrals was withheld during the legal process not to risk the integrity of the judicial proceedings.

Following his guilty plea, the details surrounding his case and interactions with Prevent are expected to be shared more openly.