Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

A courageous girl who was stabbed multiple times in the Southport Tragedy only had thoughts for other girls at the scene as she rushed to get them to safety despite her horrendous injuries.

A fundraising page has now been launched on the GoFundMe site so she can access counselling and allow her family to support her to make some happy memories after an horrendous year.

You can donate on GoFundMe today

The girl who the funds will support was referred to in court as:- ‘Child F' due to a court order protecting the anonymity of the injured children.

The fundraiser has been set up by Eric Farrar, who said:- “I'm honoured to know this family that I met. When speaking with Child F it was such an inspiration and I would like your help to raise funds for such a brave and courageous individual and her family so they can cover costs of additional counselling and allow them to make new, better memories to push this horrible event to the back of their thoughts.”

It follows last Friday’s Court case at Liverpool Crown Court which saw murderer Axel Rudukubana jailed for 52 years after he admitted killing three young girls and wounding several young children and adults at:- The Hart Space, on:- 29 July 2024.

Speaking bravely in court, Child F said:- “My sister and I have always been part of dance clubs and thankfully we can still go. On that day my sister wanted to go to take part, and I agreed to go to help Heidi and Leanne by taking pictures of the girls having a brilliant time. We were dropped off by our dad and I remember it being sunny and warm. That day turned into a living nightmare. The dance club was full of laughter and excitement all morning with the girls full of life. The beginning of my nightmare started when I saw you. I thought you were playing a joke. I saw you in your green hoodie and face mask. The thing I remember most about you is your eyes. You looked possessed and you didn't look human. I watched you stab someone and then I saw you coming for me. It was like slow motion. You stabbed me in the arm and instinctively I turned and that's when you continued to stab me in the back although I didn't feel it at the time. All I could hear was the screams. I was so scared of what you were doing and I was in a blind panic. I ran out onto the landing and there was a group of girls huddled and I began just screaming for the girls to get down the stairs. I remember I was physically pushing them down the stairs to get them out of the building and get them away from you. I knew I was running for my life. I needed to try to get everyone out to safety, that was my first thought. When we were in the car park, I remember thinking we needed to get away as you weren't going to stop, I knew from your eyes you wanted to try to kill us all. The fear I had, not knowing where my sister was, and screaming her name, I couldn't see her. I didn't know if she had got out. I will never forget that blind panic. Once I was safe and I knew my sister was safe I asked:- 'Am I going to die?' You stabbed my arm so severely that my arm looked like it was inside out. You stabbed me in the back so hard that you fractured my spine. My lung collapsed. I stayed in Hospital for a week, but even when I got home the road to recovery was so long. I couldn't go out with friends like I would have done with it being the summer holidays. I couldn't dance for months; I was simply too exhausted. When we came home, I needed my Mum, she slept beside me and my sister. I was just so scared and constantly reliving what you did. My sister would get our parents to check all the windows and doors before bed to make sure we were safe. You caused that fear in us. As a person I feel different, this life changing event has happened to us and I'm living with the consequences of it every day. Things about the incident pop up on social media all the time - I feel like I can't get away from it. Even when I'm at home and I'm safe, it means that I feel like I'm mentally still there and experiencing it. Physically I've healed, but my scars remain as a reminder of what you did to me, to us all. My sister and I are lucky we got to come home. Your actions mean that Alice, Bebe and Elsie didn't. Some of us are physically getting better, but we will all have to live with the mental pain from that day forever. I want you to know that you changed mine and my sister's lives forever, but whilst you live behind bars alone, I will make sure that my sister and I, and our family will do our best to move forward with our lives."

Eric Farrar said:- “I have seen the generosity of everyone and let’s see if we can assist this family to move forward and allow the children to reclaim their childhood with better memories.”

You can donate online now.

Liverpool (Gladstone)

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