Hundreds gathered today for the funeral of Elsie Dott Stankombe, the 7-year-old killed in the Southport knife attack in northwest England, which sparked far-right riots across the country in late July.
The small casket carrying the child’s body was transported to St. John’s Church in Birkdale, near Southport, by a horse-drawn carriage, pulled by two white horses. Covered with a pastel-colored cloth and adorned with one of Elsie’s stuffed toys, the casket was moved to the entrance on a red carpet, while residents came to pay their respects. Elsie’s funeral took place today, Friday, August 23.
At the family’s request, relatives and friends wore pastel-colored or patterned clothing for the ceremony. Elsie’s cheerleading friends, also in their uniforms, stood in front of the church, unable to hold back tears as the casket passed under a balloon arch.
“Elsie lived each day embracing life with determination, perseverance, love, and kindness,” stated the family in a press release issued before the funeral.
Elsie, along with Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King, was killed in the attack on the dance class on July 29 in Southport, which also injured 10 people, including 8 children.
During the service at the packed church, teacher Katie Sykes remarked that Elsie had the power “to light up any room she entered.”
Nearly three weeks after the attack, which was followed by far-right riots in dozens of cities across England and Northern Ireland, King Charles visited Southport on Tuesday to meet with survivors and their families. On Wednesday, he met with the families of the three girls who lost their lives in London.
The incidents were triggered by far-right rioters fueled by online rumors about the suspect, initially portrayed as a Muslim asylum seeker who arrived by boat.
In reality, the attacker, Axel Ruddakubana, was 17 years old at the time of the attack and was born in Cardiff, Wales, to a family reportedly originating from Rwanda, a predominantly Christian country.
The motives behind the attack remain unknown, although a terrorist attack scenario has been ruled out.
