Bishop stabbing clip Southport killer saw before rampage remains on X – inquiry

A video of a bishop being stabbed that was watched by Axel Rudakubana minutes before he murdered three girls in Southport is still available on X, an inquiry has heard.

The compliance and safety lead for Elon Musk’s platform said the video does not violate its policies and “we cannot make judgment” based on opinions outside X’s rules.

Sheen Handoo was giving evidence to the Southport Inquiry’s second phase which is examining how violence-fixated individuals are managed and the role of the internet in influencing and enabling them.

Her evidence started with an apology and counsel asked if it amounted to an apology from X for the fact Rudakubana watched the video of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel before the attack, which she said it did not.

Rudakubana, 20, is serving a life sentence for the murders of nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar; six-year-old Bebe King; and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe; as well as the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024.

Ms Handoo, who joined X in 2020 when it was called Twitter, said: “I would first like to offer my sincere condolences to the victims, families and everyone in Southport that was affected by this horrific attack.

“I do understand the impact of these events must have been impossible to imagine, they are impossible to imagine, and that they have my my deepest sympathies.”

Richard Boyle, for the inquiry, said: “I think this is the first expression of regret that we have had from X about its very close connection to the Southport attack, and no doubt it’s appreciated what you have just said, but can you help us as to why nothing has been said before now?”

Ms Handoo paused and replied: “I am here present today to provide evidence to the inquiry and help as much as I possibly can and I do believe that, you know, starting off with my condolences is the right way to kind of have this conversation, initiate this conversation.

“I can’t speak on other people’s behalf but I’m here today, and I am extending my condolences.”

The lawyer asked: “Does that apology also cover an apology from X for the fact that the video, the Bishop Marmari stabbing, was watched by (Rudakubana) minutes before he left the house to carry out his attack?”

The senior staffer at the social media platform, who previously managed Meta’s public policy in India and later Singapore, added: “I am extending my condolences to the victims, of course, because of this horrific attack, but I think we can delve into the particular video that you just mentioned and our actions that we have taken on that video, and the fact that the video is on the platform because of our existing policies and processes and enforcement protocols that X has had for a very long time.”

Later in proceedings, Ms Handoo confirmed that the footage “is still live and is subject to the sensitivity warning” for adult UK users.

Asked if the platform has reviewed its approach to the video, she said: “I just want to make sure that, you know, people understand when X makes content moderation decisions, that’s solely based on our policies and our enforcement guidelines.

“This particular video – while it’s unfortunate that people may have viewed this video before committing a certain crime – it does not violate our policies and we cannot make judgment based on, you know… that are outside of our policy.

“And so we continue to have this video on our platform, but with a sensitivity warning because it does not cross the line into gratuitous gore.”

Ms Handoo was repeatedly asked if she agrees that the clip was “horrific and very violent” and captured “a very ferocious attack”.

She replied: “There’s two answers to it: is based on our policies, how we enforce on this, and then the other is people’s personal sentiments around, you know, a particular piece of content.

“In my view, I think because this is newsworthy, we made the decision…”

Mr Boyle interjected to say he is not asking about the policies but whether “you as a human being” think it a “horrific and very violent video.”

She said: “I wouldn’t want to watch it, that is why we have controls on our platform for people who don’t want to watch something like this, that they can prevent that from happening on the platform.”

X has maintained that keeping the video is lawful and that the attack on the cleric was a newsworthy event.

An excerpt of the final report of the first inquiry phase, written by retired judge Sir Adrian Fulford, was read to Ms Handoo, which said: “I make clear that I do not suggest that X has acted unlawfully in this regard. UK law currently permits it to act in this way.

“The criticism is that it is deeply regrettable that they have refused outright to exercise their discretion to prohibit posts which include the most graphic part of the material, namely the immediate act of the stabbing of the bishop.

“X maintained this position once they knew that the material had been searched for by (Rudakubana) minutes before he left to murder Elsie, Alice and Bebe.

“For most people, this would have caused – at the very least – a significant concern that the footage may have fortified (Rudakubana’s) motivation to go ahead and carry out his murderous attack.

“In light of that concern, a prohibition of posts of the most graphic part of the video would have been consistent with X’s statement that it takes its ‘responsibility to combat terrorism and violent extremism very seriously’, notwithstanding the importance of freedom of expression.”

Asked if X considered amending its policies after this report, Ms Handoo said: “When we were reviewing these escalations again, we continued to enforce our policy as it is written.”

After several questions asking if she would request a team to review the policy, the senior safety staff member said: “I will.”