Alice da Silva Aguia’s parents praised for courage in calling for riots to stop

Serena Kennedy, Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, said she hoped those who took part in violent disorder are ‘hanging their head in shame’

The parents of nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar were praised by a senior police officer for their “courage” in calling for violent riots to stop after their daughter’s death (Family Handout/PA) (PA Media)

The parents of nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar were praised by a senior police officer for their “courage” in calling for violent riots to stop after their daughter’s death.

Serena Kennedy, Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, was among those who addressed mourners at Alice’s funeral at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Southport on Sunday.

She told of being “ashamed” that Alice’s father Sergio and mother Alexandra had to “consider” the violent disorder while planning the service, saying she hoped those involved are “hanging their head in shame”.

Addressing the couple, Ms Kennedy said: “You have shown great courage in asking me to be here today to give a message from you, Alice’s family, to say that you do not want there to be any more violence on the streets of the United Kingdom in the name of your daughter.

“I am ashamed and I’m so sorry that you had to even consider this in the planning of the funeral of your beautiful daughter, Alice.

“And I hope that anyone who has taken part in the violent disorder on our streets over the past 13 days is hanging their head in shame at the pain that they have caused you, a grieving family.

“I know that you asked that there is no more violence and that you are now given time as a family to grieve in peace.

“And that our traumatised community is allowed time to heal, the time it needs to start to heal.”