A 15-year-old girl has been charged with the murder of a seven-year-old girl who was found on a playing field in York with fatal injuries.
Katie Rough died in hospital shortly after she was found on Monday afternoon. Her mother, Alison, reportedly rushed to the scene from her house in the city's Woodthorpe area, less than a mile away, and broke down in tears as she attempted to save her daughter's life.
A nearby resident said she was "in a state of great distress, crying and shouting out for her daughter".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The teenager, who was arrested on Monday, is due to appear at York Magistrates Court this morning charged with murder and the possession of an offensive weapon.
Officers are appealing for witnesses.
A neighbour of the Roughs described Katie as a "lively angelic-looking little girl who loved to play out with her friends in front of their home".
They added: "She was a lovely, sweet, smiley little girl and the thought that this happened to her is heart-breaking. It's hard to believe."
Tracey Ralph, head teacher of Westfield Primary School, where Katie was a pupil, said: "Her death is a terrible loss which has deeply saddened our school community and we send our profound sympathies to her family."
North Yorkshire Police, who are conducting house-to-house enquiries, said: "Katie's family are devastated by this tragic event and have asked for their privacy to be respected at this extremely distressing time."
-
Is Andy Burnham making a bid to replace Keir Starmer?Today's Big Question Mayor of Manchester on manoeuvres but faces a number of obstacles before he can even run
-
Christian Brückner: why prime suspect in Madeleine McCann case can refuse Met interviewThe Explainer International letter of request rejected by 49-year-old convicted rapist as he prepares to walk free
-
Angela Rayner: the rise and fall of a Labour stalwartIn the Spotlight Deputy prime minister resigned after she underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty
-
Dash: the UK's 'flawed' domestic violence toolThe Explainer Risk-assessment checklist relied on by police and social services deemed unfit for frontline use
-
The ethics behind facial recognition vans and policingThe Explainer The government is rolling out more live facial recognition technology across England
-
The Met police's stop and search overhaulThe Explainer More than 8,500 Londoners have helped put together a new charter for the controversial practice
-
NCHIs: the controversy over non-crime hate incidentsThe Explainer Is the policing of non-crime hate incidents an Orwellian outrage or an essential tool of modern law enforcement?
-
The new powers to stop stalking in the UKThe Explainer Updated guidance could help protect more victims, but public is losing trust in police and battered criminal justice system
-
'Warriors' vs 'guardians': the pitfalls of police recruit training in the USIN DEPTH American police training fails to keep pace with the increasingly complex realities that today's officers face
-
Derek Chauvin, killer of George Floyd, reportedly stabbed in prisonSpeed Read Chauvin was convicted of Floyd's murder in 2021
-
Nicola Bulley: police under fire for releasing personal informationSpeed Read Disclosure was 'avoidable and unnecessary' and led to 'breakdown of public confidence', College of Policing finds
