In the wake of the tragic murders during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last July, a wave of misinformation spread like wildfire—making an already devastating situation even worse.
Now, a new report from MPs is pointing fingers at the very system meant to guide the response: the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
According to lawmakers, the CPS gave unclear and inconsistent advice that left police struggling to respond to the violence that followed.
A Dangerous Misinformation Vacuum
After the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, authorities chose to withhold certain details about the suspect, Axel Rudakubana—including his religion.
This silence, MPs say, created a dangerous information vacuum that social media quickly filled with falsehoods.
One particularly damaging rumor claimed the suspect was a Muslim illegal immigrant, a claim that gained more than 30 million impressions online.
That viral misinformation helped fuel widespread unrest, culminating in 246 protests and outbreaks of disorder across the UK.
The chaos led to 1,804 arrests and over 1,000 criminal charges, as tensions boiled over in multiple cities.
Police Caught Between Legal Limits and Public Pressure
The Home Affairs Select Committee, which will publish its full report on April 14, says the lack of transparency from prosecutors severely handicapped Merseyside Police.
Officers were caught in the middle—unable to correct the narrative while also under immense pressure to calm the public.
The CPS reportedly gave inconsistent advice about whether the suspect’s religion could be disclosed, leaving law enforcement unsure of what they could legally say.
The committee described this as “regrettable” and argued it significantly “hampered” the police response.
MPs Say System Must Adapt to the Social Media Age
Dame Karen Bradley, who chairs the committee, stressed that the criminal justice system needs to evolve in how it communicates in today’s digital world. “Social media has changed the game,” she said.
“Our systems for managing sensitive information after a major incident must reflect that reality.”
The report emphasized that the current approach isn’t cutting it—especially when misinformation can go viral in minutes.
The inability to address false claims in real time led to a massive public backlash and stoked the flames of unrest.
No Evidence of Political Bias in Policing
One concern that emerged in the aftermath of the riots was whether police were using “two-tier policing”—treating protesters differently based on their political views.
But according to the committee’s findings, there was no such bias in how officers handled the situation.
The real reason for the heavy-handed policing in some areas, MPs said, was the level of violence—people were throwing objects, attacking officers, and even committing arson.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy of Merseyside Police was commended for leading the force during such a challenging moment.
Police Leaders and Government Push Back on Misinformation Threat
BJ Harrington, the national police operations lead, welcomed the findings that cleared officers of political bias.
He stood by his colleagues and said the report supported what they’ve been saying all along.
Meanwhile, the Home Office acknowledged the broader challenge social media poses in situations like these.
A spokesperson said the rules around how authorities communicate during high-profile cases need to be updated to match the speed and scale of digital misinformation.
That’s why the government has now asked the Law Commission to review the current laws around Contempt of Court and look into how they can be modernized.