Southport attack: who was to blame?

Southport attack: who was to blame?

From The Crime Agents by Global

April 16, 2026 · 45 min · Episode 44

About this episode

Andy and Neil discuss the Southport murders and the implications of the public inquiry into the attack.

This week, Andy & Neil react to the scathing report into the Southport murders, the brutal knife attack by a 17 year old at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the summer of 2024 which killed three young girls and left many more severely injured and traumatised. They debate whether the ongoing public inquiry will lead to any lessons really being learned, or if these are just hollow words. Andy & Neil also clash over whether more individuals from the police, social services and mental health services should be held personally accountable for the mistakes which led up to these horrific murders - and discuss whether anything would be different if a similar attack happened again today. Later, Andy & Neil explain the remarkable news that the police watchdog is now looking into the whole team of detectives who bungled the initial investigation into a fatal school car crash in Wimbledon back in 2023. Could the whole squad face misconduct charges? And will we ever get a more satisfactory outcome to another tragedy involving the deaths of young girls? Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents

People in this episode

Hosts: Andy, Neil

Topics covered

  • Southport attack
  • public inquiry
  • police accountability
  • mental health services
  • investigation failures
  • youth violence

Keywords

  • Southport murders
  • knife attack
  • public inquiry
  • police misconduct
  • mental health
  • accountability
  • youth violence

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Southport, Wimbledon

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