The "Systemic Failures" Before The Southport Attack
Newscast
BBC
4.3 • 6.6K Ratings
🗓️ 13 April 2026
⏱️ 38 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today, an inquiry has found the Southport murders “could have been prevented” if the killer’s parents and authorities had done more in the years leading up to the attack.
The inquiry’s report lists factors such as a "misunderstanding of autism" and “failure in information sharing” as examples of the “systematic failures”. Adam is joined by Judith Moritz, special correspondent and Daniel Sandford home Affairs correspondent who have been covering the story.
Adam also catches up with Americast host and North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher after President Trump announcing a blockade of Iranian ports after the talks in Pakistan didn’t end up in a deal. This comes as President Trump has been publicly arguing with an unusual opponent… the Pope.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:07.3 | If American politics is leaving you with a lot of questions, you're not alone. |
| 0:12.3 | On America's, we chat through what's really going on. |
| 0:15.3 | Make sense of what's happening in the US, with new podcast episodes arriving throughout the week. |
| 0:20.6 | America's, listen on the week. America. |
| 0:21.4 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:24.3 | Hello, we're recording this episode of newscast just after Donald Trump implemented his so-called |
| 0:29.9 | blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which was a product of the failed negotiations in Islamabad |
| 0:35.7 | over the weekend. |
| 0:36.9 | So we will get the latest on that. |
| 0:38.8 | But we're going to begin with the first report from the inquiry into the Southport attacks |
| 0:44.4 | from 2024. So that is a flavour of what you'll hear on this episode of Newscast. |
| 0:49.7 | Newscast from the BBC. Fat boy sliver me in the class room doing our violin lessons. I was tattle tail in the class. Can I have an apology, please? I trust almost nobody. Then daddy has to sometimes do strong language. Next time in Moscow. I feel delulu with no salulu. Take me down to Downey Street. Let's go have a tour. Blimey. Hello, it's Adam in the newscast studio, |
| 1:11.5 | and I should just warn you that the first half of this episode |
| 1:13.7 | may contain details that you find distressing |
| 1:16.6 | because we're going to be discussing the first report |
| 1:19.4 | of the official inquiry into the Southport attacks, |
| 1:22.2 | which happened in 2024, which was released today. |
| 1:26.5 | Now, we all remember what happened that day. |
| 1:29.1 | That was when the teenager, Axel Rudi Cabana, |
| 1:32.1 | stormed into a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport |
| 1:36.1 | and killed three young girls. |
... |
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