A 16-year-old boy has been cleared of murder and manslaughter charges after the fatal stabbing of a nine-year-old girl in North Somerset.

在北薩默塞特發生的一起九歲女孩被刺身亡案後，一名 16 歲少年被解除謀殺與過失致死指控。

The trial at Bristol Crown Court focused on an incident on December 15, when Aria Thorpe was killed by a 22cm kitchen knife. The prosecution argued that the defendant intended to kill the victim or cause her serious harm. Furthermore, they suggested that he had shown a reckless disregard for her safety.

布里斯托刑事法院的審理集中在 12 月 15 日發生的一起事件，當時 Aria Thorpe 被一把 22 公分長的廚房刀刺死。控方主張被告意圖殺害受害者，或造成其嚴重傷害。此外，他們暗示被告對其安全表現出魯莽的漠視。

However, the defense claimed that the injury was an accident. The defendant testified that he only wanted to scare the girl by pretending to fence, which unfortunately led to the stabbing. After the incident, the boy went to a railway station and told his friends that the death was accidental. He also searched the internet for information about homicide laws before the police arrested him.

然而，辯方聲稱該傷勢是一場意外。被告作證稱他僅想透過模仿擊劍來嚇唬女孩，結果不幸導致刺傷。事件發生後，該少年前往火車站並告知朋友這次死亡是意外。在被警方逮捕前，他還在網上搜尋關於謀殺法的資訊。

Medical evidence confirmed that the knife went 8cm into the victim's chest. Additionally, the court heard that the girl had been left alone at home while her mother was at work.

醫療證據證實刀刃刺入受害者胸腔 8 公分。此外，法院得知女孩在母親上班期間被單獨留在家中。

The jury found the defendant not guilty of both murder and manslaughter, and he has been released from these charges.

陪審團判定被告謀殺與過失致死兩項指控均不成立，他已獲解除這些指控。