Police are investigating a violent incident at HMP Belmarsh after Axel Rudakubana, the 18-year-old triple child killer from Southport, allegedly attacked a prison officer with boiling water. The inmate is said to have heated water in a kettle inside his cell and poured it over the officer on Thursday.
The officer was hospitalized as a precaution but did not require further treatment and is expected to return to duty next week. The Ministry of Justice confirmed the investigation and reiterated that “violence in prison will not be tolerated.”
Rudakubana is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years for the July 2023 murders of three young girls and the attempted murder of ten others during a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed workshop. His victims included nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe.
The attack comes amid growing scrutiny of security lapses at the maximum-security facility. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick called it the “third astonishing security failure” at Belmarsh, blasting officials on X for ignoring repeated warnings. “This is a full-blown crisis,” he posted. “No more lengthy reviews – the Justice Secretary needs to act NOW.”
Assaults on prison staff have surged across England and Wales, reaching 10,605 in 2024, according to the Ministry of Justice—nearly triple the number reported a decade ago. The rise in violence has sparked urgent calls for reform. Recent high-profile incidents, including a hot oil attack by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi, have raised alarms about staff safety.
In response to the growing threat, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood previously announced trials for taser use in prisons and a “snap review” of protective body armor for officers.
