A HERO dance teacher who shielded children from the Southport attacker has revealed her torment over surviving the rampage.
Leanne Lucas had organised the Taylor Swift dance class where the massacre took place last July.
Social media Leanne Lucas today revealed her anguish over the Southport attack[/caption]
The dance instructor was stabbed five times by Axel Rudakubana as he made his way through the Hart Space community centre slashing at adults and children.
Leanne managed to save two children and was rushed to hospital in a life-threatening condition.
Tragically, Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were all killed in the horror.
In a heartbreaking statement at Rudakubana’s sentencing hearing today, Leanne personally addressed the three innocent victims.
She told them: “For Alice, Elsie, Bebe, [fellow teacher] Heidi and the surviving girls, I’m surviving for you.”
Leanne also revealed how “as a 36-year-old woman” she can no longer stay at home alone, go to work or walk down the street without holding her breath in case someone attempts to stab her.
She added: “As a 36-year-old woman I cannot give myself compassion or accept praise, as how can I live knowing I survived when children died.”
Leanne told how how she is trying to “see the goodness in the world” but the “badness has been evidentially proven to me to exist, in plain sight, on our doorsteps, in our community”.
The dance instructor also said her mindset since the attack has been altered and she has “lost the ability to accept people now as they are”.
Leanne revealed she has lost her role as someone in the community who would help children and make a positive impact.
Since the attack, she said she can never “feel that level of responsibility again where there may be dangers to others”.
She continued: “I spent many months thinking about the incident 24 hours a day seven days a week.
“Just when I felt I could settle and try to move forward, the trauma of that day is now back at the forefront.
“I constantly see his face; new memories have appeared, and this will continue to happen for the rest of my life.”
Leanne said she has been affected both physically and mentally by the horror and has been left with scars that serve as “visual daily reminders” of what Rudubakana did to the victims.
She also revealed how she had to endure three stays in hospital and undergo multiple surgeries.
Leanne continued: “The trauma of being both a victim and a witness has been horrendous.
“There are times when I will spiral into trauma and the effect this has had on those close to me is unforgivable.
“The impact this has had on me can be summed up by one word: trauma.
“He targeted us because we were women and girls, vulnerable and easy prey.
“To discover that he had always set out to hurt the vulnerable is beyond comprehensible.”
Axel Rudakubana admitted murdering three girls in a rampage
Rudakubana is due to be sentenced today after he pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and ten of attempted murder.
The teen, who had been due to stand trial before the dramatic U-turn, also admitted two terror offences after police found ricin and an Al-Qaeda manual at his home.
Despite this, police are still not treating the July attack as terror-related.
The shameless triple killer has so far caused further anguish for the victims’ families with his courtroom stunts.
Rudakubana, who had refused to speak during his previous hearings, was removed from dock shortly after the sentencing began shouting that he was “ill” and needed a paramedic.
As he left, one family member shouted “coward” as others shook their heads.
He was then removed for a second time after lunch when he made another vile outburst.
PAElsie Dot was stabbed to death at a dance class[/caption]
PABebe King, 6, was among the youngsters stabbed to death[/caption]
PAAlice Dasilva Aguiar was also left dead in the rampage[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
