[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Two teenagers in the United Kingdom who were convicted last month of murdering 16-year-old transgender teenager Brianna Ghey have been given life sentences in prison for the awful crime. And for the first time ever, the identities of the two teens who were convicted of killing her have been publicly revealed to the media.
On Friday afternoon, Judge Amanda Yip presided over Manchester Crown Court, and in her determination, she felt it right to send Scarlett Jenkinson (above, top left) and Eddie Ratcliffe (above, middle) away to prison for the rest of their lives. They were each 15 years old when they murdered Ghey in February of last year. And now, they will be held in juvenile detention facilities until they turn 18, at which point they will be sent to adult prison centers.
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During her determination on Friday, Judge Yip deemed that both convicted teenagers must serve at least 20 years (Ratcliffe) and 22 years (Jenkinson) in prison before there is even a possibility that they might be eligible for parole. Jenkinson was handed down two extra years on her mandatory minimum sentence because prosecutors proved she was the impetus for the murder and planned more of it before it happened.
Per NBC News, Judge Yip said in court to the convicted murderers:
“You will only be released if in the future it is decided you no longer present a danger. You both took part in a brutal and planned murder, which was sadistic in nature, and a secondary motivation was hostility to Brianna because of her transgender identity.”
Wow.
As we’ve reported, Jenkinson and Ratcliffe lured Ghey to Linear Park and stabbed her dozens of times, leading to her grisly and awful death. Both teens had previously pleaded not guilty to the murder accusations upon being arrested, but they were convicted of the charges in December of 2023.
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Jenkinson’s family released a statement about their daughters’ conviction and sentencing to Independent UK:
“All of our thoughts are for Brianna and her family. The last 12 months have been beyond our worst nightmares as we have come to realize the brutal truth of Scarlett’s actions.”
And Ghey’s mother also made a public statement. Per NBC News, she said this in court on the day of the sentencing hearing:
“I have moments where I feel sorry for them because they have also ruined their own lives, but I have to remember that they felt no empathy for Brianna when they left her bleeding to death after their premeditated and vicious attack, which was carried out not because Brianna had done anything wrong, but just because one hated trans people and the other thought it would be fun.”
So crushing. At least justice has now been served.
To learn more about how you can help the LGBTQ+ community, check out https://www.glaad.org/.
[Image via Cheshire Constabulary/Daily Express/YouTube/Brianna Ghey/TikTok]
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