Rudakubana is serving a 52-year sentence after the fatal stabbing of three girls, and the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, in July 2024.
The killer, who was 17 at the time of the attack, pleaded guilty to killing Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
Rudakubana was transferred from the Category A prison to Broadmoor high-security hospital on Thursday in a move that does not change his sentence, the Ministry of Justice said.
The lawyer representing the families of the three girls, Chris Walker of Bond Turner, said that while the news would “devastate them at any time”, it comes ahead of the second anniversary of the attack.
He said: “The three families we represent have been made aware of this development in the last 48 hours and it is safe to say that whilst this news would devastate them at any time, the fact that this has occurred as we approach the second anniversary in our view is another move by AR [Axel Rudakubana] who would appear to be attempting, once again, to manipulate the system.
“We have been given the barest of details and whilst we are supporting the families through this, we are urgently seeking a meeting with the appropriate authorities to understand the situation before commenting further.”
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