A 15-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare.
Schoolgirl Aria Thorpe was pronounced dead after police were called to a residential address in Lime Close, Mead Vale, in the Worle area of the town, on Monday night.
Shortly after officers arrived at the scene at 6.12pm, the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested in the area.
The preliminary finding of a post-mortem examination has indicated that the girl’s tragic death was a result of a single stab wound, Avon and Somerset Police said.
On Wednesday morning, the boy appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court. During a brief hearing, he spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth. He was remanded into youth detention accommodation ahead of a hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.
Superintendent Jen Appleford said: “This remains an incredibly difficult time for Aria’s family, who we continue to support and update around our investigation. It is impossible to adequately describe how traumatic the past 36 hours have been for them and we’d like to reiterate in the strongest possible terms their request for privacy.
“The tragic loss of such a young girl has caused a huge amount of shock and upset, with there being a profound sense of loss felt throughout the community. We are working closely with partner agencies and schools across the Weston area to make sure those affected receive access to any support they need.”
The police investigation into what happened has “continued at pace” since the girl’s death, said Supt Appleford.
She added: “We are grateful to local residents for the patience shown while we have been carrying out enquiries in the area. This work will need to continue over the next few days, but if anyone has any issues then please do not hesitate to speak to officers on the cordon who will be happy to help.”
