Boy charged after death of girl, nine

There is 1 related update to this story

• 16 December 2025:Investigation launched after girl’s death in Weston-super-Mare

A boy has been charged with murder following the death of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare.

The 15-year-old has been remanded and will appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday 17 December).

The formal identification process has not yet been completed, but we can confirm the boy has been charged with the murder of Aria Thorpe.

It follows emergency services being called to an address in Lime Close shortly before 6.10pm on Monday 15 December. The boy – who cannot be publicly identified as a child defendant – was arrested in Worle a short time later.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out and the preliminary finding is that the death was as a result of a single stab wound.

Superintendent Jen Appleford said: “Our investigation has continued at pace since Monday evening and we can confirm a 15-year-old boy, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, has overnight been charged with murder. He is due to appear in court later today.

“This remains an incredibly difficult time for Aria’s family, who we continue to support and update around our investigation. 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.

“The tragic loss of such a young girl has caused a huge amount of shock and upset, with there being a profound sense of loss felt throughout the community. We are working closely with partner agencies and schools across the Weston area to make sure those affected receive access to any support they need.

“We are grateful to local residents for the patience shown while we have been carrying out enquiries in the area. This work will need to continue over the next few days, but if anyone has any issues then please do not hesitate to speak to officers on the cordon who will be happy to help.”