A jury at Bristol Crown Court has acquitted a 16-year-old boy of murder and manslaughter charges in connection with the death of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe. The teenager, whose identity is protected due to his age, was accused of killing the girl in her home in Weston-super-Mare on December 15, 2025.
During the trial, a pathologist testified that Aria died from a single stab wound to her chest. The defense presented the argument that the incident was a tragic accident that occurred while the boy and Aria were playfighting. The teenager told the court that he was holding a knife and waving it around, likening his actions to fencing in an attempt to make Aria flinch.
Following her death, Aria's family remembered her as having a "lively and bubbly" personality.