The father of a nine-year-old girl who died after being stabbed in the heart has launched a campaign for her case to be reviewed after the teenager responsible was cleared of both murder and manslaughter.
Aria Thorpe died in December after being stabbed at her home in Weston-super-Mare.
During the subsequent trial, the 15-year-old boy admitted waving a kitchen knife “ninja-style” towards Aria before the blade entered her chest by around three inches and wounded her heart.
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The teenager left the property following the incident and CCTV footage later shown during the case captured him reenacting the stabbing in front of other teenagers at a nearby railway station.
A jury ultimately found him not guilty of murder and not guilty of manslaughter.
Family says it has been ‘robbed of justice’
Aria’s father, Tom Thorpe, an offshore wind turbine inspector, says his family has been left devastated by the outcome and is now exploring what avenues remain available.
He said: “Walking into a living room with the biggest knife in the house, fencing towards a four-foot-nine-year-old, leaving her for dead, locking the dogs away, putting your coat on, casually strolling out of the house… how on earth do you get to walk out of court before we had even walked out of court?”
Tom described his daughter as a “little firecracker” and said the family feels it has been “robbed of justice”.
The family is particularly concerned about the legal directions given to the jury and believes these should now be examined.
Family exploring options with prosecutors
Tom and his family are exploring their options with the Crown Prosecution Service following the acquittal.
An acquittal normally prevents someone being tried again for the same offence. There are limited exceptions to the double-jeopardy rule for certain serious offences where new and compelling evidence subsequently emerges, subject to strict legal requirements.
The family accepts that the possibility of another prosecution is slim but says it intends to continue pursuing the case.
Tom said: “If we can’t change the verdict, then whatever has happened in this trial with the judge’s directions misleading the jury must never, ever happen again.
“You can’t murder or accidentally kill someone, flee the scene, and get away with it. It’s just disgusting.”
Petition launched
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has backed the family’s campaign and launched a petition calling for the Attorney General to intervene.
She said: “The injustice of Aria’s case undermines public confidence in our courts. In no world should the boy who admitted his actions which led to Aria’s death be walking free. It is inexcusable.”
The campaign is seeking a review of what happened during the criminal proceedings and, in particular, the directions given to the jury.
For Aria’s family, the campaign is also about ensuring that any lessons arising from her case are identified, even if the acquittals themselves cannot ultimately be overturned.
