Anika Begay
By Yves Herman
SOUTHPORT, England (Reuters) – The parents of one of three girls murdered last month at a Taylor Swift-themed event in northern England called for an end to the nationwide rioting that followed their deaths, at an emotional funeral for their young daughter.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, and two other girls died and eight were injured after being stabbed during an attack at an event in the coastal town of Southport two weeks ago.
Days of rioting followed in Southport and in towns and cities across the UK, sparked by false online posts that misidentified the alleged killer as an Islamist migrant. A British-born teenager has since been charged and police say the incident is not being treated as terrorism.
At Aguiar’s funeral, the area’s police chief told the faithful that her grieving Portuguese parents, Sergio and Alexandra, had asked her to make a public appeal for calm.
“You have shown great courage in asking me to be here today… to give you a message from you, Alice’s family, to say that you do not want to see any more violence on the streets of the UK in the name of your daughter,” Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said.
“I am so ashamed and sorry that you even had to consider this when planning the funeral of your beautiful daughter Alice.
“And I hope that anyone who took part in the violent rioting on our streets over the last 13 days will hang their heads in shame for the pain they have caused you, a grieving family.”
More than 900 people have been arrested and 466 charged with crimes committed during the unrest, mainly against migrants and Muslims, and dozens have already been convicted and jailed, with cases being rapidly processed by the courts.
Police and politicians believe the authorities’ swift and harsh response, coupled with the thousands of people who have attended counter-demonstrations since Wednesday, have deterred people from taking part in further protests, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer has denounced as “far-right hooliganism”.
Starmer has cancelled holiday plans to deal with the response, and many more arrests and charges are expected in the coming months, prosecutors said. Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood said the impact on the already strained justice system would be felt for years to come.
ANSWERS
At Aguiar’s emotional funeral, her white coffin covered in pink flowers was carried to the church on a carriage pulled by white horses, as hundreds of locals lined the streets to cheer.
“You were taken from us too soon, and we often ask ourselves why? Why here? Why us? Why you?” her parents said in a tribute read by the girl’s uncle during the ceremony.
“We will never get over this pain, but we promise to get all the answers. Mom has seen too much, and we need to know. We are in shock, with unimaginable pain. We miss you… For now, our beloved angel, keep dancing. Mom and Dad will always, always love you.”
Two other girls, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, were killed and Bebe’s parents released a statement Saturday saying her death had shattered their world. They revealed that her older sister Genie had witnessed the attack and managed to escape.
Politicians and police have blamed online misinformation for fuelling the violence that followed, and Education Minister Bridget Phillipson said students would now be taught how to spot fake news and “rotten conspiracy theories spread on social media”.
Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds said he had written to the Association of British Insurance Companies to ensure compensation for businesses damaged by the riots was made quickly.
