Hundreds of mourners gathered in Southport, northwest England, on Sunday to attend the funeral of nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, who was killed in a knife attack last month that triggered over a week of nationwide unrest.
The emotional ceremony took place at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, where family, friends, community leaders, and emergency responders came together to support Alice’s grieving parents. The service, held nearly two weeks after the attack, saw attendees dressed in white, a nod to Portuguese traditions from Alice’s parents’ homeland.
As the funeral cortege passed, a small white coffin adorned with colorful feathers was carried by two white horses, with locals lining the main road to pay their respects.
“We’re here to honor Alice and show the Southport spirit,” said one local resident. Pink ribbons and balloons decorated the area around the church, while several hundred people attended the service, which featured addresses, readings, prayers, and hymns broadcasted to those outside.
Jinnie Payne, headteacher of Alice’s primary school, delivered a moving tribute, saying, “Alice, you will forever be in our hearts.”
The July 29 attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class also claimed the lives of six-year-old Bebe King and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and injured ten others, including eight children. All injured individuals have since been discharged from the hospital.
Bebe’s parents, Lauren and Ben King, expressed their profound grief, stating, “The loss of our precious daughter has shattered our world beyond repair.” They revealed that their elder daughter, Genie, witnessed the attack but managed to escape.
The stabbings incited riots in Southport on July 30 and unrest across multiple English towns and Northern Ireland over the following week. Authorities have attributed the violence to far-right agitators exploiting the tragedy to advance anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
British-born Axel Rudakubana has been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the attack. His parents are from Rwanda, a predominantly Christian nation. The motive behind the attack has not been disclosed, but police have confirmed it is not being investigated as terrorism-related.
