The adult survivors of the Southport attack have been subjected to “vile abuse” on social media, the public inquiry has heard.
Dance teachers Leanne Lucas and Heidi Liddle, who ran the Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 last year, and Jonathan Hayes, who was working in the office next door, showed “remarkable bravery” in response to the atrocity, their legal representative Pete Weatherby KC said in an opening statement at Liverpool Town Hall on Wednesday.
He said Ms Lucas suffered life-threatening injuries when she was stabbed by Axel Rudakubana.
“During the attack, she fell to the ground, to be pulled up by Heidi, and together they did their utmost to push as many children as possible away from the attacker and from the scene,” Mr Weatherby said.
He told the inquiry Ms Lucas insisted children were treated before her and was the first person to call 999, despite her injuries, while Ms Liddle “almost certainly” saved the life of a child she barricaded herself into the toilets with.Mr Hayes, who also suffered serious injuries, confronted the attacker and, although unable to overpower him, distracted him from attacking others for “vital seconds”, he said.
Mr Weatherby added: “I have set out that summary in the way in which I have because each of the three have been subject to misinformed criticism, some of which, on social media, has been vile abuse.
“None of them want the detail of their actions to obscure the loss and trauma suffered by so many children and their parents and families.
“But it is important to this process, which starts with establishing a true record of what did and did not happen, and to all those affected, that the definitive account records what is materially correct.”
He said the three adults joined others in “urging the inquiry to rigorously look at what should and could have been done differently, and in particular what multi-agency interventions there were or should have been”.
