Alice da Silva Aguiar died along with six-year-old Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven, in an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on 29 July.
The parents of the nine-year-old girl killed in a stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop have released an image of her at the event on the day of the attack.
The image shows Alice da Silva Aguiar next to a cardboard cutout of Swift at the Hart Space community centre in Southport on the morning of Monday 29 July.
She was one of three girls who died after several children were injured in the attack.
Alice’s parents Sergio and Alexandra, originally from Madeira in Portugal, have released the photo as hundreds gathered for the girl’s funeral at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Southport today.
Members of the public lined a street in the Merseyside town to honour Alice as the funeral procession arrived.
They were joined by around 30 uniformed police officers and Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy.
‘We loved cuddling you every night’
In a statement read out on their behalf at the service, Alice’s parents said: “You were our perfect dreamchild, everything was perfect from the moment you arrived. A good girl, with strong values and a kind nature, a lover of animals and an environmentalist in the making.
“You moved our world with your confidence and empathy. Playful, energetic, friendly and always so respectful… no shouting is a house rule you applied, a big task for a small girl, especially in a Portuguese household.
“Being around you was a privilege, we cherished every milestone, you completed us… we loved cuddling you every night for almost nine years, apart from sleepovers and nights away with your friends, we were never apart.”
The grieving parents added that their daughter was committed to her dancing and her schoolwork, and continued: “Your to-do list was extensive and we were sure that you would achieve it, if only you had the time.
“It hurts, we will never see you grow up.”
Sergio and Alexandra also said they have been asking themselves whether they could have done anything to prevent her death, adding: “We will never get over this pain.”
The parents released the last photo and statement along with other images of their daughter from throughout her short life.
Some show her as a much younger girl at ballet classes while another shows her outside school.