Overview

• Phase one restarted at Liverpool Town Hall with impact statements from parents of survivors and a bystander who confronted the attacker, ahead of evidential hearings due to begin on September 22.
• Parents described arriving to what one called a "scene reserved for nightmares," detailing children’s injuries, PTSD and lasting fear, with child victims kept anonymous by court order.
• One mother told the inquiry her daughter is "changed forever," recounting panic triggered by toy weapons at a school event and the struggle to rebuild a sense of safety.
• Another parent said families carry the burden of knowing the perpetrator was already known to multiple agencies, urging the inquiry to expose failures and drive change.
• The families’ solicitor said they believe the attack was preventable and called for a full examination of the perpetrator’s history, including three prior referrals to Prevent and inter‑agency decision‑making.