United Kingdom: two teenagers found guilty of the “horrific” murder of young transgender Brianna Ghey

2023-12-21 04:57:27

Twenty-eight stabbings and a “thirst to kill”: two teenagers were found guilty on Wednesday of the murder of sixteen-year-old British transgender Brianna Ghey, whose death in a “frantic” attack had aroused great emotion in the United Kingdom. United. The teenager, who lived in Warrington near Liverpool (northwest England), was stabbed around thirty times in the head, neck, chest and back with a hunting knife on February 11, after being lured to a park near her home.

At the end of four weeks of a grueling trial, the jury at Manchester Crown Court found the guilt of the two accused teenagers – nicknamed Boy Y and Girl throughout the hearing. Aged fifteen at the time and sixteen today, they risk life imprisonment for this murder described as “horrific” by the police. The teenagers, who had no reaction to this announcement, will receive their sentence later.

In court, Brianna Ghey’s mother welcomed the verdict and paid tribute to her daughter, “funny, witty and fearless.” “Knowing how scared she must have been in that park (…) will always haunt me,” she said. Deeply regretting that the accused showed no “ounce of remorse” during the hearing, she nevertheless called for “empathy and compassion” for their families.

The prosecution described them as two young people fascinated by “violence, torture and death”, with a real “thirst to kill”. They planned Brianna Ghey’s murder for weeks, sending dozens of text messages to each other. Eight days before the teenager’s death, the accused sent her co-accused a photo of a handwritten note, on which was written: “Saturday February 11, 2023. Victim: Brianna Ghey”.

“Wait for Brianna to get off the bus, then walk the three of us to Linear Park. Go to the pipe/tunnel area. I tell the password to (name of other accused). He stabs her in the back while I stab her in the stomach,” this note continues, until the body is hidden.

Fascination with serial killers

The accused also kept a “kill list”, with the names of four other teenagers. Both suffer from, among other things, autistic disorders and Boy Y, who “gradually stopped speaking” after his arrest, testified by typing on a keyboard during the trial. “This is one of the most disturbing cases I have ever had to deal with. The planning, the violence and the age of the killers are beyond comprehension,” admitted Deputy Chief Prosecutor Ursula Doyle.

The death of the young girl sparked strong emotion in the United Kingdom, where the rights of transgender people spark fierce debates. Thousands of people paid tribute to her during candlelight vigils organized in several cities across the country, calling for “protecting trans youth” and “justice for Brianna”.

After the murder, the defendants’ fingerprints were found on soda bottles found in the park. They had also been seen by passers-by leaving the scene. They were arrested the next day at their homes. In the bedroom of Girl X, fascinated by serial killers, torture videos, and “obsessed with Brianna”, the police found a jacket with traces of blood belonging to the victim.

“Brianna trusted the accused”, who lured her to this park and was “betrayed” by the one she thought was her friend, commented Nigel Parr, investigator from Cheshire police. A knife with blood whose DNA matched that of the victim was also found at Boy Y, who used “dehumanizing” language against her, for example calling her a “transsexual”.