Why the Southport stabbing suspect hasn't been named and how to spot misinformation

Strict legal restrictions prevent media and public from identifying arrested teenager

It was a horrific incident that has left Britain reeling and questioning how such a tragedy could have taken place. But to preserve the integrity of the legal process, the answers to such questions are not immediately forthcoming.

In the wake of the mass stabbing in Southport that claimed the lives of three young girls - Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine - there has been intense speculation about the identity and motives of the suspect.

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Why isn’t the Southport suspect being named? 

Many people have questioned why the media has not named the teenager. The answer to that is rooted in strict laws in England and Wales over what can be said publicly once someone has been arrested. They are designed to ensure that if the case proceeds to trial, there will be a fair and open-minded jury who are not prejudiced by what they have seen or read previously.

Because of privacy laws, suspects are frequently only named by the media once they have been charged in connection with an offence. If the suspect is under the age of 18, the restrictions are even tighter. 

There is an automatic ban on the identification of children in youth court proceedings, and if a youth appears in the Crown Court - as they would for a case like this - the judge can impose reporting restrictions ensuring their anonymity under Section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

The restrictions on reporting include not revealing the name, home address or school of any young person concerned in the case. This includes any photographs which may make identifying them likely.

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The Independent Press Standards Organisation’s editors’ code of practice also states editors should generally avoid naming children under the age of 18 after arrest for a criminal offence, but before they appear in a youth court, unless they can show that the individual’s name is already in the public domain, or that the individual has given their consent. 

When will he be named, and will the judge decide to name him? 

If the case proceeds to trial, suspects under the age of 18 will remain anonymous throughout proceedings. But these restrictions can be challenged, usually by the media, after proceedings have ended, according to the Crown Prosecution Service. 

In some rare cases, judges have lifted reporting restrictions on the basis the public interest in the full reporting of criminal proceedings outweighs the desirability of avoiding additional harm to a child that has been convicted of a crime.  Most famously, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both ten years old, were named after their conviction in 1993 of the abduction, torture and murder of two-year-old James Bulger.

A similar decision was taken more recently when the killers of Brianna Ghey, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 16, were named after the judge in the case, Mrs Justice Yip, lifted a legal order. She said there was “a strong public interest in the full and unrestricted reporting of what is plainly an exceptional case”.

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What information has been released?

Merseyside Police, which is investigating the incident, have said a 17-year-old male from Banks, a Lancashire village to the north of Southport, but who is originally from Cardiff, was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the stabbings. The force said it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack, which it said was not being treated as “terror-related.”

What is contempt of court?

There are strict laws in England and Wales over what can be said publicly once someone has been arrested, a restriction designed to ensure that if the case proceeds to trial, there will be a fair and open-minded jury who are not prejudiced by what they have seen or read previously. 

These rules are not just designed to guide the reporting of news organisations and broadcasters. They apply to everyday users of social media outlets like X and Facebook. If they fall foul of them by publishing text, images or even a link, they could be committing contempt of court, an offence that is punishable by a custodial sentence. 

How to spot misinformation in the wake of a serious crime

Since the attacks in Southport, a significant number of comments across social media channels have taken the form of wild-eyed speculation and conspiracy theories, with police issuing a warning after an “incorrect” name was circulated online. 

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The rapid-fire spread of such misinformation means social media posts should be treated with extreme caution, and basic checks are worthwhile. For example, is the author a reliable source or an established journalist? Does a story they are linking to redirect to have an unusual URL or spelling mistakes?

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