A funeral is being held for six-year-old Bebe King, who was killed in the Southport stabbings.
Bebe died along with nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, after the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on 29 July.
The atrocity sparked anti-immigration protests, riots and counter-protests in towns and cities in England and Northern Ireland after false information circulated on social media that the attacker was an illegal migrant.
The suspect was later named as Axel Rudakubana, now 18, who was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and has been charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a kitchen knife with a curved blade.
Bebe’s family was holding a private funeral for family and close friends in Southport at 11am on Saturday and people not attending were encouraged to light a candle in her memory.
Bebe King (bottom left) with her parents Lauren and Ben and sister Genie. Pic: Merseyside Police
Her parents Lauren and Ben previously paid tribute to their “precious daughter”, whose older sister Genie, nine, witnessed the attack and managed to escape.
“Our world was shattered by the loss of our precious daughter Bebe,” the couple said in a statement.
“Along with two other beautiful souls, Elsie and Alice, she was taken from us in an unimaginable act of violence that has left our hearts broken beyond repair.”
Eight other children were wounded in the rampage, and all have since been discharged from hospital and are recovering at home.
Meanwhile, a yoga teacher who was injured in the attack is back in hospital after struggling with her breathing.
Leanne Lucas is believed to have been one of the organisers of the dance event. Businessman John Hayes was also wounded in the atrocity.
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Hundreds of people lined the town’s streets for Alice’s funeral procession last Sunday along with around 30 uniformed police officers and Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy.
Alice’s parents Sergio and Alexandra, originally from Madeira in Portugal, released a picture of her alongside a Taylor Swift cardboard cutout at the event on the day of the attack.
“It hurts, we will never see you grow up,” they said in a statement.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
