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30th July 2024
02:26pm BST
A nine-year-old girl who died following a knife attack in Southport has been named by her family, who have paid tribute to the youngster.
Portuguese girl Alice Aguiar was identified by her family after it was confirmed on Tuesday that she had become the third child to die after the horrific attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party.
Two other girls, aged six and seven, also died in the attack, which took place at around 11:47am on Monday.
The Liverpool Echo reports that Portuguese Foreign Ministry sources had confirmed a Portuguese girl had died, with the country's Consul General assisting the family and offering them "all the support they need."
Alice's mum Alexandra Aguiar is understood to hail originally from Caracas in Venezuela and her dad David Aguiar is from Madeira.
One of Alice's relatives, Carina Aguiar, had posted a link on social media to a statement made by Merseyside Police in which they confirmed a third child had died.
Aguiar, who lives in Madeira where she works at a hotel, had earlier posted a photo of a black ribbon on Facebook alongside Alice's name.
She wrote: "Princess Alice. In this moment of great pain my soul hurts, my body hurts, my mind hurts. I have a lump in my throat. You were just an innocent child, a happy smiley girl with a bright life ahead of you which a despicable human being took away from you, without pity, for no reason. Look after your mum and dad who are suffering, who are desolate and broken. Fly high our little star. I love you."
Friend Claudia Trindade commented: “Have strength. Let my dear God console the hearts of her parents.” Magda Fernandes said: “I have no words. My condolences to the whole family. Lots of strength at this difficult hour. “
Liliana Soares wrote: “What a huge tragedy. My pretty and innocent angel. Such tremendous pain. My sincerest condolences Carina to the whole family.”
Portugal's Secretary of State for Communities José Cesário has also paid tribute to the youngster on behalf of the government.
He said: "Unfortunately, she was a child, the daughter of Portuguese parents from Madeira. She was born on 15 October 2014, aged nine. She is, in fact, one of the victims of this sad crime. The family lived in Southport. The parents are in a state of shock, we will continue to provide the necessary support, we are in direct contact with the girl's aunt. The priority is to provide the necessary moral support, then it will depend on the circumstances of this family and where they want to hold the funeral."
A Gofundme in memory of Alice has been set up by Benridge Care Homes and Good Companions, based in Southport. They stated: "We at Benridge Care Homes and Good Companions have been completely stunned by the tragic loss of Alice, following the horrific events that took place in Southport yesterday. We can't even begin to imagine how the family feel.
"Alice is the daughter of one of our team here & she has been a part of the Good Companions family since she was a baby, joining in with many of our activities & events with our families & staff. Benridge Care Group would like to help support the family, so we kindly request donations towards costs that the family will be faced with."
In a statement on Tuesday, Merseyside Police confirmed a nine-year-old girl had passed away from her injuries sustained in the attack.
The force said: “Sadly we can confirm that a third child has passed away as a result of injuries sustained in a knife attack in Southport yesterday morning.
“The nine-year-old girl died in hospital in the early hours of this morning, Tuesday 30 July.”
Police also confirmed the children who died in the attack yesterday were girls aged six and seven.
They continued: “Eight other children suffered stab wounds sustained during the attack, and five of them are in a critical condition.
“Two adults are also in a critical condition after being injured during the incident.”
Family liaison officers are supporting those affected during this distressing time.
Merseyside Police reiterated their desire for people not to speculate on the details of the attack while the investigation is ongoing, and said a name being shared on social media in connection with the suspect is incorrect.
Police said: “A name has been shared on social media in connection with the suspect in the incident in Southport.
“This name is incorrect and we would urge people not to speculate on details of the incident while the investigation is ongoing.”
The only details known about the suspect are that he is a 17-year-old male from nearby Banks, and was born in Cardiff.
He was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and continues to be questioned by police.
At around 11:47am on Monday, the attacker armed with a knife entered a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class.
The attack is not being treated as terror-related and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with it.
A fundraiser has also been launched by Taylor Swift fans to help the families, with over £60,000 having been raised so far.
Meanwhile, Swift herself has released a statement following the attack. In a post on Instagram, the popstar said she has not stopped thinking about the ‘horrendous’ attack since she heard about it.
