Tom Thorpe, the father of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe, is launching a campaign after a teenage boy who stabbed his daughter walked free from court. The case has drawn support from former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who has set up a petition on her website calling for a review.
Teen walks free after admitting knife attack
Aria was killed in her own home in Weston-super-Mare in December by a knife to the heart. The unnamed 15-year-old admitted waving a knife 'ninja-style' at her before plunging it three inches into her chest and wounding her heart. He then fled the scene and was seen on CCTV recreating the stabbing to a group of teenagers at a train station.
After the trial, the teen was able to walk free from court, a decision the family believes is ultimately wrong. Tom, an off-shore wind turbine inspector, told prosecutors the case would be an easy conviction because of the level of evidence, but doubts arose when the defence argued it was an accident.
Family claims miscarriage of justice
The family claims the verdict was a miscarriage of justice because the judge wrongly directed the jury to only convict the teenager of manslaughter if they were sure he deliberately stabbed Aria in a way a reasonable person would believe would cause harm.
Tom said: "Walking into a living room with the biggest knife in the house, fencing towards a 4ft nine-year-old, leaving her for dead, locking the dogs away, putting your coat on, casually strolling out of the house. How on earth, with all of that happening, do you get to walk out of court before we had even walked out of court?"
Campaign seeks Court of Appeal review
The case cannot be retried under double jeopardy laws unless new evidence emerges. Tom and his fiancee admit there is a 'slim chance' of this, but are exploring their options with the Crown Prosecution.
Tom told The Telegraph: "If we can't change the verdict in the case, then whatever has happened in this trial with the judge's directions misleading the jury, this must never, ever happen again, because you can't murder or accidentally kill someone, flee the scene, and get away with it. It's just disgusting."
Mrs Braverman said: "The injustice of Aria's case undermines public confidence in our courts. In no world should the boy who admitted his actions which led to Aria's death be walking free. It is inexcusable. The Attorney General must step in and ensure that something is done to right this horrendous miscarriage of justice. The Thorpe family and Aria deserve nothing less than the whole country's support in their campaign."
