Police Commissioner for Merseyside releases statement following the tragic deaths of two women in Liverpool

Following the tragic deaths of two women in Liverpool, Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell has said:

“It is absolutely devastating to hear the news this morning of two lives lost in our city, a 47-year-old woman and 12-year-old Ava White. My deepest sympathies go out to all the families affected by these horrific incidents.

“Merseyside Police have launched two murder investigations and made a number of arrests in connection with both incidents. I will continue to monitor the investigations and would urge any members of the public with information about either incident to please contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

“If anyone has been affected, there is support available via my Victim Care Merseyside service: www.victimcaremerseyside.org.”

Emily added: “Yesterday we marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, and this morning we wake up to the tragic news that two women have been murdered. No-one should be in any doubt that there is an epidemic of violence against women and girls in Merseyside and across the country.

“We must all work together to root out misogyny, violence, and abuse to keep women and girls safe.

“It breaks my heart to think that a young girl has lost her life because of an act of senseless violence in our community.

“There is clearly more work to be done to tackle serious violence and keep our communities safe. This responsibility falls on all of us. Myself, Merseyside Police, our partners and all our communities across Merseyside.”