Two 15-year-olds Charged with Murdering Transgender Teen in UK
U.K. police have apprehended and charged two 15-year-olds in the death of a 16-year-old transgender girl who was found stabbed on a park path in Warrington, northwest England, on Saturday.
As reported by CBS News, the death of Brianna Ghey has drawn national concern, with many believing Ghey to be the victim of an anti-trans hate crime.
"Cheshire Police arrested two 15-year-olds, a boy and a girl, from nearby Leigh, on Sunday and on Wednesday charged them with her murder," CBS reports. "They were to appear at Chester Magistrates' Court later in the day."
About the crime, Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Evans previously said: "I would ask anyone who has any information, no matter how big or small, that they believe could help with our investigation to get in touch."
In a tribute statement issued after her death, Ghey's family said she was a "much-loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister."
The statement added: "The loss of her young life has left a massive hole in our family, and we know that the teachers and her friends who were involved in her life will feel the same."
According to data from the non-profit Everytown for Gun Safety, murders of transgender people nearly doubled from 2017 to 2021 in the U.S., with 56 transgender people killed in 2021.
On Sunday, lawmaker Nadia Whittome tweeted: "Brianna deserved a chance to become a beautiful adult woman, and to live to see a world where trans people are safe and respected,"
A GoFundMe crowd-funding page supporting Ghey's family has reached $91,000.