Esther Ghey spoke at a one-year anniversary vigil for her daughter Brianna.
Esther Ghey, mother of Brianna Ghey, emotionally honored her daughter’s memory at a vigil commemorating one year since the tragic murder of the transgender teenager.
Brianna Ghey, aged 16, was fatally stabbed by two teenagers, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, in Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire on February 11, 2023.
In the year following her death, her assailants were convicted of murder. The LGBTQ+ community and allies nationwide have united in mourning and advocating for increased protection for transgender and non-binary individuals amidst escalating hate crime statistics.
Esther Ghey, speaking at a vigil outside Warrington’s Golden Square Shopping Centre on Sunday, shared heartfelt memories of her “unique and joyful” daughter. “I will forever cherish the 16 years I spent with Brianna. She taught me invaluable lessons and showered me with love and peace,” Esther expressed to the gathered crowd.
Esther Ghey, mother of Brianna Ghey, speaks at a vigil to mark the one year anniversary of Brianna’s death
“I urge every parent to hold their children close and never cease to remind them of your love.”
During the vigil, a two-minute silence was observed, while Brianna’s friends reminisced about their time with her.
Recently, Mrs. Justice Yip lifted the anonymity order protecting the identities of Brianna’s killers, both 16 years old, citing the severity of their crimes. Scarlett Jenkinson received a life sentence with a minimum of 22 years, and Eddie Ratcliffe received life with a minimum of 20 years. Justice Yip highlighted the murder’s sadistic nature, driven by hostility towards Brianna’s transgender identity.
Since Brianna’s tragic passing, Esther Ghey has been an advocate for mental health awareness and mindfulness. She has also campaigned for stricter regulations on social media usage for minors, proposing the implementation of software that flags concerning keywords to parents.
In an interview with BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Esther emphasized the need for legislation requiring mobile phones suitable only for under-16s. She suggested software that alerts parents to potentially harmful searches, enabling timely intervention. Esther believes that had the concerning searches made by her daughter’s killers been flagged, their parents might have been able to intervene and seek help for them.
