Brianna Ghey – latest: Boy and girl appear in court charged with murder of trans teenager

Two teenagers charged with the murder of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey have been remanded into custody by a district judge.

The pair, a boy and a girl, both aged 15, appeared at Chester Magistrates’ Court, sitting as a youth court, on Wednesday and were not required to enter pleas to the charge.

Brianna, from Birchwood in Warrington, was found by members of the public as she lay with fatal stab wounds on a path in Culcheth Linear Park at around 3.13pm on Saturday.

Prosecutor Leanne Gallagher told the court Brianna’s death was “extremely brutal and punishing”.

Cheshire Police are exploring whether the teenager, who was a transgender girl, was the victim of a hate crime.

“The stabbing of teenager Brianna Ghey in Warrington is a terrible tragedy for her family and my heart goes out to them. Two 15-year-olds have now been charged with her murder,” Robin Moira White writes.

“It is not clear whether the fact that she was trans was a factor in the events in Linear Park, Warrington, but shock at her death has rippled through the LGBT+ community.

“I cannot help but feel this kind of tragedy was waiting to happen. Anyone who followed the Conservative leadership contest will have seen the candidates vying with each other to stoke “debate” over trans people’s lives; and such sentiment is something I, as Britain’s only trans discrimination barrister, have to cope with every day.”

A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for Brianna Ghey’s funeral details how the service will be “pink and colourful” to match the teenager’s personality.

The 16-year-old trans teenager was stabbed to death in park in Warrington on Saturday afternoon.

Police are now investigating whether the attack was a hate crime.

The GoFundMe page has already raised £75,000 to go towards Ms Ghey’s funeral and describes how her funeral will be “pink and colourful to match her personality”.

Crowds gathered in Liverpool to attend a vigil for murdered teenager Brianna Ghey.

Members of the public attend a candle-lit vigil at College Green in Bristol city centre and in Liverpool in memory of transgender teenager Brianna Ghey.

The recent wave of high-profile crimes against women is a stark reminder of the hidden victims who are subjected to male violence “every day”, campaigners and politicians have warned.

From the crimes committed by former Metropolitan police officer David Carrick to the murder of a headteacher in Epsom, a spate of stories about women being beaten, abused, humiliated, raped or killed - usually at the hands of men - have dominated the news cycle in recent months.

Women’s groups have warned that these stories are just the “tip of the iceberg”. Tory MP Caroline Nokes, who is chair of the women and equalities committee, told The Independent that, while these “horrific” stories are making the headlines, the majority of abuse “goes unreported”.

“It serves as a useful reminder to us that there is a spectrum of offending. The most horrendous stories make the headlines, but that doesn’t mean women aren’t suffering every single day,” she said.

In case you missed it...

The family of a teenager stabbed to death in a Cheshire park have paid tribute to their “much-loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister”.

Brianna Ghey was found by members of the public suffering stab wounds at Linear Park in Culcheth, Warrington at around 3pm on Saturday.

In a statement published on Monday morning, Brianna’s family said her death has left a “massive hole in our family”.

“She was a larger-than-life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind.

“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.”

A fundraising appeal to support the family of a 16 year-old stabbed to death in a park has raised more than£90,000.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help the loved ones of Brianna Ghey with funeral costs after she was tragically killed in Cheshire on Saturday.

The crowdfunding page was set up by Victoria Potter, who described the teenager as “an outgoing, confident girl.”

So far, the appeal has raised ££90,790, far more than the £4,216 goal.

“She brought a lot of laughter to those who knew her,” Ms Potter wrote. “She was looking forward to taking her exams this year and beginning her journey into the adult world.

“We have set up this page to help the family at this truly devastating time. We need your support to help them with funeral costs (we want to make this pink and colourful to match her personality) and ask if you can spare anything no matter how small to try to relieve their stress and allow them to grieve their beautiful daughter.”

We’re closing our coverage of the investigation into Briann Ghey’s killing but keep checking independent.co.uk for the latest updates.