In an unusual move, a British court on Thursday named the 17-year-old suspect in a stabbing rampage that left three children dead and eight injured in northwestern England early this week.
The suspect, Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, appeared in a court in Liverpool to face three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder, and possession of a bladed article.
Although the police said repeatedly that the suspect had been born in Cardiff, Wales, misinformation spread rapidly on social media claiming that he was an undocumented immigrant.
The proliferation of those erroneous reports persuaded the judge, Andrew Menary, to lift the typical restrictions on the news media’s ability to report the identity of an underage suspect.
“Continuing to prevent the full reporting has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation, in a vacuum,” Judge Menary said, according to the Press Association.
Persons:
Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, Taylor Swift, Andrew Menary, Rudakubana, Judge Menary
Organizations:
Press Association
Locations:
England, Liverpool, Southport, Cardiff , Wales