Amidst backlash, the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, deleted a 2018 Children in Need promotional video from its websites when it was revealed that the video featured the teenager accused of murdering three girls in Southport. The accused teenager who appeared in BBC’s promo video has been identified as Axel Rudakubana.
In a now-deleted charity promotional video from 2018, Axel Rudakubana is shown leaving the Tardis dressed as Doctor Who, sporting a trench coat and tie that resembled Doctor Who’s star, David Tennant.
Axel Rudakubana, then 11, reminds viewers in the video, “It’s that time of year again”, before offering tips on how to best raise money.
In a statement, BBC Children in Need spokesperson said, “Our deepest sympathies go out to everyone impacted by this shocking case and we have removed the video from all of our platforms out of respect to them.”
He was chosen for the video via a casting agency and had no involvement with any Children In Need projects.
As reported earlier, Axel Kudakubana appeared in Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, accused of the murders of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. He is also accused of attempting to murder yoga instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes, and eight youngsters who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
The suspect is a minor and generally, names of minor suspects are not released to the public in the UK. However, Judge Andrew Menary took an exception and let the suspect be identified as Axel Rudakubana, a resident of Wales born to Rwandan parents, to stop the spread of misinformation.
After the stabbing incident, anti-immigrant protests have erupted across the United Kingdom. Dozens of protests have been taking place across the country and law enforcement agencies are facing difficulties in controlling the protesters.
