LONDON (AP) 鈥 The people of Southport, England, came together Sunday for the first of the funerals for three girls killed during a dance class, remembering 9-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar鈥檚 radiant smile and calling for an end to the unrest that has convulsed Britain since the attack two weeks ago.
Hundreds of mourners packed St. Patrick鈥檚 Catholic Church and spilled into the street outside, which had been decorated with pink ribbons and balloons in Alice鈥檚 honor. Chief Constable Serena Kennedy was among them and she delivered the parents鈥 message that no one should commit acts of violence in their daughter鈥檚 name.
鈥淚 am ashamed and I鈥檓 so sorry that you had to even consider this in the planning of the funeral of your beautiful daughter, Alice,鈥 said Kennedy, who heads the Merseyside Police force, which covers the area around Liverpool. 鈥淎nd 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.鈥
have used misinformation about the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class that killed Alice as a pretext for anti-immigrant demonstrations. They descended into riots and looting as mobs attacked mosques, shops owned by immigrants and hotels housing asylum-seekers. The disturbances have been fueled by social media users who about the suspect in the July 29 stabbing rampage.
Rumors, later debunked, quickly circulated online that the suspect was an asylum-seeker, or a Muslim immigrant. The suspect was born in Wales and moved to the Southport area in 2013. His parents were originally from Rwanda.
The when in dozens of locations across Britain failed to materialize. Instead, peaceful anti-racism protesters showed up in force.
But on Sunday, the focus was on Alice.
Her parents, Sergio and Alexandra, described Alice as a 鈥減erfect dream child鈥 who loved animals and moved through the world with confidence and empathy.
鈥淲e feel shocked, unimaginable pain, we miss you,鈥欌 they said in a tribute read on their behalf. 鈥淔rom time to time, the pin drops. When mommy says 鈥楪ood night, Sergio, good night Alice,鈥 and then it hits us all over again. We don鈥檛 hear you back.鈥欌
Jinnie Payne, the headteacher at Churchtown Primary School, remembered that Alice once decorated a teacher鈥檚 classroom pointer as a magic wand and outlined the seven 鈥淎lice qualities鈥 that she wished every student had.
Those included having a big smile, a genuine interest in others and treating everyone equally.
鈥淭his has to be my favorite, how a child at such a young age could not favor one friend over another,鈥 she told the congregation. 鈥淔riends, she played equally with them all. That is so hard to do, and she mastered it.鈥
But she also loved to dance.
On Sunday, her parents released a photo of Alice standing next to a cardboard cutout of Swift as she waited for her last dance class to begin.
鈥淭he time has come to say 'there goes Alice,鈥" Payne said tearfully. 鈥淲e are letting you go dancing now, Alice. Teach those angels a few dance moves."
