Teenage boy appears in court charged with murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe in Weston-super-Mare

A teenage boy has appeared in court charged with the murder of a nine-year-old girl.

Aria Thorpe died after suffering a single stab wound on Monday, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Emergency services were called to Lime Close in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, at 6.09pm but Aria was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named because of his age, appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court on Wednesday charged with her murder.

During a brief hearing, he spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth.

He was remanded into youth detention accommodation ahead of a hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.

A police cordon remains in place at the scene of Aria's death as forensics officers continue their work.

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Superintendent Jen Appleford, from Avon and Somerset Police, said the community was in shock and Aria's family were being supported by police.

"It is impossible to adequately describe how traumatic the past 36 hours have been for them and we'd like to reiterate in the strongest possible terms their request for privacy," she said.

Supt Appleford said police were working with local schools and other agencies to make sure support is available.

(c) Sky News 2025: Teenage boy appears in court charged with murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe in Weston-super-Mare