Elsie Dot Stancombe

¶6. Elsie was a dreamer, full of big ideas and with a beautiful imagination. She was joyful, affectionate and with her own sense of style, making creations from fabrics and things she found around the house. Jennifer and David, her parents, described that they considered their life before 29 July 2024 to be perfect, filled with warmth, love, and security. They were “blessed” by two daughters, and their eldest, Elsie, was central to the family’s happiness. She was a source of endless laughter and positivity at home. She had formed a very close and protective bond with her younger sister, acting as her role model, confidante and playmate. With her infectious laugh, Elsie brought energy and love everywhere she went.⁵⁰⁵⁰ T/S: 7/3/1-20/22.

¶7. On the morning of 29 July 2024, Elsie was excited at the prospect of the event at the Hart Space. She was eager to show off her new ear piercings and to enjoy the planned crafts and dancing. Her parents accompanied her to the venue and watched her run to join her friends, leaving her at what they believed to be a safe place. Later, when they received the terrible news that Elsie had been stabbed, they rushed to the scene only to witness the chaos and devastation. They hoped desperately that Elsie had been taken to hospital, having failed to find her among the injured children, but were then told that, tragically, she had not survived. Their lives were instantly and irreversibly changed: their perfect family was shattered forever.

¶8. Elsie’s parents described the profound impact on the family of Elsie’s death. Their youngest child suffers from separation anxiety, she fears leaving her parents’ sight and she struggles to understand her sister’s absence. David and Jennifer experience daily grief; they suffer from anxiety and flashbacks, and the memories of the day of the attack, along with their daughter’s death, continually intrude. Ordinary tasks, such as cooking, watching television and leaving the house are now accompanied by an intense sense of fear and anxiety. Both parents are overwhelmed by guilt and a sense of helplessness at having not been able to protect Elsie, and they described how they struggle with the knowledge that she was alone during the attack.

¶9. They were distressed and angered by the public disclosure of the details of Elsie’s injuries and circumstances of the attack, which violated her dignity and privacy. These revelations have been traumatising. They are deeply frustrated that this information was released notwithstanding their pleas that her anonymity should be protected. They stress that the incident should not be viewed merely as an example of ‘knife crime’ but rather a failure by the authorities to prevent an individual who was intent on harming children from committing these crimes.

¶10. Despite their immense sense of loss, Elsie’s parents are committed to preserving her memory, supporting their surviving daughter and advocating for justice and systemic changes in order to prevent similar tragedies. They pressed upon the Inquiry the need for accountability, societal reform and improved protections for children. They want Elsie’s death to serve as a “line in the sand”, to ensure that no other family experiences what they have endured. They described powerfully their profound grief following what had occurred, the enduring trauma inflicted on the lives of their family, and their determination to fight for their daughter’s legacy, along with the safety of other children.