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Inquest into Southport attack. Brave girl shielded her friends. *title fixed by MNHQ*

30 replies

Lookuptotheskies · 09/07/2025 23:02

The bravery of the little girl protecting her friends and surviving all those wounds made me cry!

I cannot imagine the terror they must have felt. As a parent it's just imaginable.

I'm not sure what happened with the teachers leaving comment in the article? Did the adults run out ahead of the kids?! I don't remember reading about that aspect at the time.

‘I’m glad I could help them, Mum’: Southport attack survivor, 7, stabbed 33 times after trying to shield friends | The Independent https://share.google/1ObN3yNasgLXChtGG.

‘I’m glad I could help them, Mum’: Southport survivor, 7, tried to shield friends

Inquiry hears of devastating toll on girls who survived the horrifying knife rampage, including scars, flashbacks and crippling fear

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/southport-attack-inquiry-survivor-trauma-b2785588.html

OP posts:
Nifty50something · 10/07/2025 03:34

Southport. It was Southport. Not Stockport. Southport.

BlackCoffeeAndSugar · 10/07/2025 03:48

If an adult did run out I hope they don't get hate. None of us know what we would do in that actual situation. We can imagine but unless you are faced with it you dont know.

windysocks · 10/07/2025 04:03

Why do people say Stockport? it's Southport . I have even heard news readers do this

sashh · 10/07/2025 06:22

BlackCoffeeAndSugar · 10/07/2025 03:48

If an adult did run out I hope they don't get hate. None of us know what we would do in that actual situation. We can imagine but unless you are faced with it you dont know.

Someone had to get help, and as you say we do not know how we would react.

I was watching one of the 7/7 documentaries. One of the first people on the scene explained that his job meant he went on / in to the carriage, saw and heard there were people dead and badly wounded but he couldn't start helping them.

Rescuing as many people as possible relied on him assessing the situation and calling in the appropriate services.

Those poor little girls and their families. I hope they are all getting appropriate counselling.

RIP Bebe, Elsie and Alice.

dontwannadothis · 10/07/2025 07:44

One of the teachers was badly injured herself and the other had several girls in a small room (I think it was a bathroom?) I don't think either teacher abandoned the girls at all.....

Clearinguptheclutter · 10/07/2025 07:53

Pleas change the title OP. Southport.

Needtosoundoffandbreathe · 10/07/2025 07:54

windysocks · 10/07/2025 04:03

Why do people say Stockport? it's Southport . I have even heard news readers do this

It's probably autocorrect. I clicked on thread thinking something had happened that I hadn't heard about though.

DancingNotDrowning · 10/07/2025 08:03

I can’t imagine how painful it must be to know that a teacher fled from the scene leaving your 7 year old DD to face such a horrifically violent attack.

that might not be fair, I know the teacher had also been attacked, but the idea of leaving little girls to face that monster alone is horrific.

Hanovercrosse · 10/07/2025 08:11

Leanne was stabbed 5 times but knew she had to get help, Heidi managed to hide some children in the toilet.
Neither ran off or abandoned the kids.

Hanovercrosse · 10/07/2025 08:12

DancingNotDrowning · 10/07/2025 08:03

I can’t imagine how painful it must be to know that a teacher fled from the scene leaving your 7 year old DD to face such a horrifically violent attack.

that might not be fair, I know the teacher had also been attacked, but the idea of leaving little girls to face that monster alone is horrific.

They didn’t, I suggest you delete this, it’s completely wrong and disrespectful

Hanovercrosse · 10/07/2025 08:16

The dance studio is part of a set of units on Hart St, there’s a garage nearby. If Leanne hadn’t screamed for help, which she did despite being stabbed 5 times, then she said she thought he’d kill them all. Watch the documentary and see how broken she is and do not fucking judge that brave lady.

I’m local by the way.

Britneyfan · 10/07/2025 08:43

I was also reading this article and thought the same thing but after looking into the details it’s very clear that the teacher Leanne was stabbed multiple times almost immediately in the attack (makes sense he’d have tried to get the only adult in the room out of the way first) to the point that doctors were worried a lung had been punctured or that her spine had been injured to the point she would end up paralysed etc. Despite that she screamed to the children to run and managed to herd a lot of the children out with her and get them to safety while she raised the alarm on her phone while leaving, and actually not just with police but also men working and living in neighbouring buildings, who helped immediately. I really don’t think she could have done more in the situation, she was incredibly brave actually, and she is right that someone needed to raise the alarm ASAP, she was never going to be able to take on this almost 18 year old boy armed with a wicked knife successfully by herself without help.

The organiser I think called Heidi locked herself and at least one child in the bathroom, easy to say from afar that she could/should have done more but it’s hard to know how you’d react in that situation and exactly what she knew about what was happening at that stage of the attack etc. And I bet the parents of that particular child/children are very glad she didn’t take further risks with them having got herself and the child(ren) to safety.

There was also a man working in another room/business on that floor who came out to see what was going on and presumably try to help, he got stabbed himself as a result.

The men working in the garage next door and one across the street also helped look after the children who had successfully escaped and did CPR, first aid etc while raising the alarm, and they went over to try to intervene in the attack when the police arrived anyway. And at least one person in the car park was keeping kids safe in their car as well.

So there were adults very much trying to help at the time. I get what these parents are saying, it must have been incredibly traumatic for their child in that moment amid all the chaos, but I’m not sure it’s exactly a fair comment they've made here, despite their preceding comments saying they understand someone had to raise the alarm etc, knowing how these teachers were criticised at the time and have suffered as a result of survivor’s guilt etc. However it’s understandable they probably have some anger around the fact their child was left dealing with things without an adult at that moment in the chaos.

DancingNotDrowning · 10/07/2025 10:19

Hanovercrosse · 10/07/2025 08:12

They didn’t, I suggest you delete this, it’s completely wrong and disrespectful

I am commenting on the evidence given at the inquest by a mother of a girl who was stabbed 30+ times

she said her daughter recalls the class rushing out of a narrow doorway and downstairs, following their wounded teacher, Leanne Lucas

But the uncomfortable and often unspoken truth of our own reality is that, when the adults left in those first moments, our daughter had to save herself.

It is not disrespectful to say can understand why the girls mother finds this aspect particularly hard to deal with. I would too.

ThatsNotMyTeen · 10/07/2025 10:22

Hanovercrosse · 10/07/2025 08:11

Leanne was stabbed 5 times but knew she had to get help, Heidi managed to hide some children in the toilet.
Neither ran off or abandoned the kids.

This was my understanding. For gods sake these women are broken. One nearly died! They did nothing wrong!

Hanovercrosse · 10/07/2025 10:24

DancingNotDrowning · 10/07/2025 10:19

I am commenting on the evidence given at the inquest by a mother of a girl who was stabbed 30+ times

she said her daughter recalls the class rushing out of a narrow doorway and downstairs, following their wounded teacher, Leanne Lucas

But the uncomfortable and often unspoken truth of our own reality is that, when the adults left in those first moments, our daughter had to save herself.

It is not disrespectful to say can understand why the girls mother finds this aspect particularly hard to deal with. I would too.

It’s disrespectful when you haven’t got a fucking clue what happened, and you don’t live in the town that’s been left devastated by this, read the room ffs

anytipswelcome · 10/07/2025 10:28

I think this thread should be deleted, I can’t see what possible good it’s doing to anyone in any way at all.

ThatsNotMyTeen · 10/07/2025 10:29

Hanovercrosse · 10/07/2025 10:24

It’s disrespectful when you haven’t got a fucking clue what happened, and you don’t live in the town that’s been left devastated by this, read the room ffs

Exactly.

so what does the PP think they should have done differently? There were 2 of them and what, 20 odd children, and a knife wielding madman?

Also missed out the earlier part of the quote

“I would like to say that I don't for a moment doubt that the actions of the teachers there that day saved lives. They escaped to call the police and flag down help, they shielded other children. I am grateful for what they did for those girls.”

Hanovercrosse · 10/07/2025 10:36

So easy to sit and judge from the outside.

Timepoorandpoor · 10/07/2025 10:37

This thread is in such poor taste.

The adults did all they could, they are not cowards or responsible, the lunatic stabbing them all was to blame.

None of us know, as adults, how we would behave in that situation, it would have been fast and frightening and it’s really easy to judge when it isn’t you stabbed in the back, trying to do your best for a group of children who were also scared and probably all over the place.

Aquabluemouse · 10/07/2025 10:38

This is a really distasteful and poorly judged post, OP. I think it should be removed. And for the record, no one knows how they would react in such a horrendous situation, however, it sounds like all the adults did their very best to help and protect those girls.

DancingNotDrowning · 10/07/2025 10:51

I clearly said it wasn’t fair for the mother to feel like that but I can understand why she does.

the whole incident was absolutely tragic and I suspect we will come to learn, entirely preventable. my comment was about recognising the challenges of multi faceted grief not blaming anyone other than the attacker

Hanovercrosse · 10/07/2025 11:07

You said the teacher ‘fled from the scene’ she didn’t

ToffeeCrumble · 10/07/2025 11:44

I'm not sure what else someone is supposed to do if they're being stabbed.

DancingNotDrowning · 10/07/2025 11:58

Hanovercrosse · 10/07/2025 11:07

You said the teacher ‘fled from the scene’ she didn’t

Im not going to argue over words, I’ve provided the full quote.

Fleeing/rushing/running/ escaping the point is the mother of a 7 year old girl gravely injured, whilst trying to protect her young friends is struggling with the idea that once the adults left her daughter had to fend for herself.

and this thread is a clear example of why that trauma is particularly hard to bear: because it’s not fair to blame the adults, but it is also a reality that the girls were alone. And whilst it’s impossible to comprehend the terror of that poor girl it’s also - as evidenced on this thread - impossible for that mother to voice her horror about that fact and for others to empathise, without being accused of being disrespectful

ToffeeCrumble · 10/07/2025 12:15

DancingNotDrowning · 10/07/2025 11:58

Im not going to argue over words, I’ve provided the full quote.

Fleeing/rushing/running/ escaping the point is the mother of a 7 year old girl gravely injured, whilst trying to protect her young friends is struggling with the idea that once the adults left her daughter had to fend for herself.

and this thread is a clear example of why that trauma is particularly hard to bear: because it’s not fair to blame the adults, but it is also a reality that the girls were alone. And whilst it’s impossible to comprehend the terror of that poor girl it’s also - as evidenced on this thread - impossible for that mother to voice her horror about that fact and for others to empathise, without being accused of being disrespectful

No one has accused the mother of being disrespectful. How she worded it was fine. It's you trying to be salacious by writing

I can’t imagine how painful it must be to know that a teacher fled from the scene leaving your 7 year old DD to face such a horrifically violent attack.

that might not be fair, I know the teacher had also been attacked, but the idea of leaving little girls to face that monster alone is horrific.

That's what's disrespectful