UK police charge teenage boy with 9-year-old girl's murder

British police said they had charged a 15-year old boy with murder on Wednesday, following the death of a nine-year-old girl in southwest England.

The girl, Aria Thorpe, died on Monday as a result of a single stab wound, police said a post-mortem examination had found.

The 15-year old boy, who cannot be named because of his age, has been remanded in custody and will appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court later on Wednesday.

He was arrested in an area near to the house in Weston-super-Mare where the girl was found, police said in a statement.

"The tragic loss of such a young girl has caused a huge amount of shock and upset, with there being a profound sense of loss felt throughout the community," Superintendent Jen Appleford said in a statement, adding it was an "incredibly difficult" time for Thorpe's family.

Reuters