The parents of Alice da Silva Aguiar, one of three young girls tragically murdered at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport, England, last month, have made a heartfelt plea for an end to the nationwide riots that followed their daughter's death. The appeal was delivered during an emotional funeral service held for their nine-year-old daughter on Sunday. Alice, along with two other girls, was fatally stabbed, and eight others were injured during the attack at the seaside town event.
In the aftermath, the United Kingdom witnessed days of rioting, fuelled by false online claims that wrongly identified the suspect as a Muslim migrant. However, authorities have since charged a British-born teenager with the crime, confirming that the incident is not being treated as an act of terrorism. At the funeral, Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy conveyed the grieving parents' request for peace.
"You have shown great courage in asking me to be here today...
to deliver a message from you, Alice's family, to say that you do not want there to be any more violence on the streets of the United Kingdom in the name of your daughter," Kennedy said. She expressed deep regret that the family had to consider making such a plea during the planning of their daughter’s funeral. "I am ashamed, and I'm so sorry that you had to even consider this in the planning of the funeral of your beautiful daughter Alice," Kennedy stated.
She also expressed hope that those involved in the violence over the .