A jury has found two British teenagers guilty of the 2023 murder of 16-year-old transgender woman Brianna Ghey.
The two accused, one male and one female, were both 15 years old at the time of the alleged crime, cannot be named for legal reasons.
Warning: This story has details of violence against a person who was transgender. Information in this article might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.
Ghey was stabbed 28 times it was described as a “ferocious” attack. She had met the two teenagers in Culcheth Linear Park, a few miles from her Birchwood home. The wounds of her body were to her head, neck, back and chest.
The two teenagers lured Ghey to the park with the intention of murdering her. The court head that the pair had planned the assault and discussed killing Ghey for a significant amount of time ahead of her death.
The two accused, who had known each other since they were 11 years old, had fantasised about killing five potential victims including school classmates and other acquaintances. The murder was not classified as a hate crime because the other potential victims were not transgender.
The jury took just under five hours to arrive at their conclusion that both of the teenagers were responsible for Ghey’s death. They had both pleaded not guilty, blaming each other for the murder.
The judge overseeing the case, Justice Yip, told the pair that they would face a life sentence, but she would have to consider some reports before making her final judgement. She will also consider a request from the media for the offender’s names to be published.
Brianna’s mother Esther Ghey said she had “lost all sympathy” for the par as they had not shown “an ounce of remorse” during the trial.
“To know how scared my usually fearless child must have been when she was alone in that park with someone that she called her friend will haunt me forever,” she said.
OIP Staff
Do you need some support?
If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, support and counselling are available from:
QLife: 1800 184 527 / qlife.org.au (Webchat 3pm – midnight)
QLife are a counselling and referral service for LGBTQIA+ people.
DISCHARGED: info@discharged.asn.au / discharged.asn.au
Discharged is a trans-led support service with peer support groups for trans and gender diverse folks.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 / lifeline.org.au
Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 / www.beyondblue.org.au
You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.
