Parents want better online safety after their daughters were murdered. They shared memories and seek accountability.
The murders happened last July. Rudakubana also tried to kill others. The government announced an inquiry last month. Rudakubana, age eighteen, got a life sentence and will stay in jail for killing the girls. He also tried to murder ten others, including children.
The court learned Rudakubana watched violent videos of murder, torture, and genocide online for years. He said he was glad he killed the girls. Elsie’s parents, Jenni and David, and Bebe’s parents also want better safety. They want their daughters’ legacy to be safety.
Jenni said Elsie “didn’t know bad.” Jenni wants accountability and thinks the inquiry will hold people accountable. Rudakubana was in the Prevent scheme. The scheme closed his cases three times. Elsie’s father, David, wants answers and wonders why he wasn’t stopped.
Jenni said no one should endure this. They worked hard and wanted the state to protect them. Bebe’s mother hopes Bebe impacts the world. She wants future kids to be safer and feels her daughter will move mountains.
The family’s lawyer, Sara Stanger, wants online safety first. She said the videos were on the open internet. Dame Angela Eagle praised the parents’ bravery and called the attack an “unimaginable horror.” She said the missed chances must be a lesson.
Dame Angela wants to reform the Prevent process to pick up radicalized people and clean the internet of violent content. She will consider the parents’ upset about the televised sentencing. The parents of Alice weren’t ready to speak but support Elsie and Bebe’s families.
Both sets of parents shared their grief. They spoke of the tragic day and the memories. David doesn’t feel better about the life sentence, saying it won’t bring Elsie back. Jenni said they met Taylor Swift, who kept Elsie’s pictures, which Elsie would have loved.
The couple started “Elsie’s Story” charity. They won’t let evil win and hope to make other kids smile, which will give them purpose. They spoke with the Prime Minister and Sir Keir Starmer and support the public inquiry. Their town has shown love and compassion.
Jenni felt privileged to be Elsie’s mom. Elsie’s love was pure. They promised to get up every day and won’t stay in bed, as Elsie wouldn’t want that. David feels guilt and anger. Jenni said they dropped her off for dance, as she wanted to go during the holiday.
Jenni would have died for Elsie. Bebe’s mother wants to remove Bebe from the past, wanting people to know her. She was a beautiful, funny, and gorgeous girl. Her mom feels like a lioness protecting her.
Bebe’s mom feels her around all the time. Bebe had a special bond with each parent. Her dad said she was affectionate and hugged him every morning. He holds onto those precious moments. Bebe’s mother said she was funny, and they had a hidden language. She was her best friend.
Bebe loved Taylor Swift and sang “Love Story” in the car. The mom hopes this wasn’t all for nothing. She wants Bebe to protect children in the future. They choose to live for her. They live with light and love.
The family’s final moments were at the hospital. They read to her, and family visited. They did their final goodbyes and read “Jack and the Beanstalk.” They met Taylor Swift, who was very lovely and overwhelming. They needed to find light in the dark.
The bracelets are Taylor Swift bracelets. Making them was a good distraction. Bebe’s dad said children brought bracelets and left them at the street memorials. His bracelet spells Bebe’s name.
The couple criticized the televised sentencing. They feel it set them back and did not need to be televised. Some viewers found the interviews too sad to watch and felt guilty watching the parents grieve.
The interviews made Susanna Reid and Ed Balls cry. Reid asked if the parents were remarkable.