Families of Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe honour their daughters, vowing their legacies won’t be defined by tragedy.
The grieving parents of Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, have shared heartbreaking tributes to their daughters, describing them as “pure light” and “so brave”, after they were murdered in last year’s horrific Southport stabbings.
The brutal attack, which took place at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on 29 July, claimed the lives of Bebe, Elsie, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar. Their killer, Axel Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced last month to a minimum of 52 years in prison after admitting to three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Bebe’s parents, who chose not to be shown on camera for legal reasons, recalled her strength and kindness. “She was so mighty but so strong but so kind at the same time,” they said, describing their final moments at her hospital bedside, reading to her and saying their goodbyes. “She was pure light. She was pure joy.”
Elsie’s parents, Jenni and David Stancombe, spoke of their daughter’s fearlessness and bravery. They revealed that Taylor Swift herself reached out, offering to meet the families at her Wembley Stadium concert, something they said “would have been a dream come true” for Elsie.
Determined to ensure Elsie’s memory lives on, her parents have launched a charity, Elsie’s Story, aimed at bringing joy to other children. “We’ll never feel true happiness again,” Elsie’s mother said, “but we might just feel a little bit of something if we make another child smile, for Elsie.”
Despite Rudakubana receiving one of the longest sentences in UK history, the families remain haunted by his actions. The court heard how the then-17-year-old walked into the dance studio armed with a 20cm blade bought on Amazon, stabbing his victims in a horrific 14-minute rampage. Authorities later discovered a plastic box of ricin, a machete, arrows, and an al Qaeda training manual in his bedroom, though his motive remains unclear.
The Southport community continues to mourn, vowing never to forget the innocent lives taken in the senseless tragedy. As parents and neighbours fight to reclaim the memories of Bebe, Elsie, and Alice from the horror of that night, they ensure their daughters are remembered not for how they died—but for how they lived.
