David Temkin KC, Sara Sutherland and David Illingworth continue to represent families as Southport Inquiry Phase 2 hearings begin

September 17, 2026

David Temkin KC, Sara Sutherland and David Illingworth from Exchange Chambers, instructed by Nicola Ryan-Donnelly of Fletchers Solicitors, are continuing to represent 19 families as the substantive hearings in Phase 2 of the Southport Inquiry get underway in London.

Their clients are the families of 22 girls who were physically and/or psychologically injured by the atrocious knife attack during a dance class in Southport on 29 July 2024.

Phase 2 opened in London in July, following the publication of the Inquiry’s Phase 1 report in April. The main Phase 2 hearings began in September and are taking place at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in St Paul’s, London, with hearings continuing until mid-December.

Phase 2 of the Southport Inquiry is examining the wider systems and safeguards designed to identify, assess and manage individuals who present a risk of serious violence, with the aim of establishing the changes required to prevent future tragedies.

It is focusing on broader issues concerning the management of so-called violence-fixated individuals (VFIs) – those considered to be at risk of committing acts of extreme violence where ideology is not the primary motivating factor.

Among the issues being examined are the effectiveness of existing multi-agency arrangements for identifying, assessing and managing such individuals, including the roles of policing, Prevent, youth offending teams and other public bodies. The Inquiry is also considering how these arrangements interact with safeguarding systems, mental health services, education and social care, and whether stronger integration could improve the identification and management of those who pose a risk.

Phase 2 will also explore which interventions are most effective in reducing the risk posed by violence-fixated individuals, whether current threat management models used in areas such as counter-terrorism and organised crime offer transferable lessons and what barriers exist to effective intervention.

In addition, the Inquiry will consider the influence of the internet and social media in enabling or encouraging acts of extreme violence, together with the effectiveness of the current legal and regulatory framework for identifying, monitoring and disrupting harmful online activity. It will also examine policies, regulation and criminal enforcement relating to the sale and possession of offensive weapons, including bladed articles.

The Inquiry is due to report to the Home Secretary by May 2027.