The murder of Brianna Ghey could not have been ‘reasonably’ foreseen, the coroner rules at an inquest into the death of a trans teenager

Murdered trans teenager Brianna Ghey was ‘at risk’ of child sexual exploitation through strangers online and had tried to prevent her mother from accessing her phone, an inquest heard.

But the danger posed by sadistic killers Scarlett Jenkinson – influenced by violent dark web content – ​​and Eddie Ratcliffe “could not have been predicted”, a coroner heard.

Brianna, 16, was stabbed 28 times in the neck, chest, head and back in a horrific ordeal.

Her attackers, each 15 at the time of the murder in February last year, blamed each other but both were found guilty of the murder in Culcheth, a suburb of Warrington, Cheshire, and given life sentences.

Coroner Jacqueline Devonish concluded an inquest in Warrington yesterday and returned a verdict of unlawful killing.

Ms Devonish praised a ‘commendable’ campaign by Brianna’s mother Esther Ghey to control children’s access to mobile phones and ‘mindfulness’ lessons in schools.

But she said the campaign was “targeted at the top of government” and declined to make any recommendations herself.

Ms Devonish also declined to comment to schools, education or social services as procedural changes have already been made.

However, she said police “should have at least visited” Jenkinson when it emerged she had given a fellow student a cannabis-infused sweet at her previous school in September 2022.

The incident saw her given a ‘managed move’ to Birchwood from her former school, Culcheth High, where she knew Ratcliffe.

Jenkinson befriended Brianna in early November 2022 in Birchwood’s ‘inclusion unit’ – a space at the school for struggling students who needed extra support.

Brianna “had behavioral issues within the first three days” of moving to Birchwood in 2020, according to Angela Clark, the school’s deputy safeguarding lead.

The teenager – who had an eating disorder, ADHD and self-harm – was repeatedly offered support but ‘didn’t want to take part’.

In the fall of 2022, Ms. Clark said, “There were some concerns with Brianna, such as refusing to hand over her cell phone at school and absenteeism.

In addition to Brianna’s various health issues, including her mother reluctantly allowing her to purchase puberty blockers, Ms. Clark expressed “concerns about her spending time on various social media platforms,” ​​putting her at risk of meeting abusers.

She said: ‘(Brianna) had thousands of followers, she also accepted gifts from people she didn’t know via TikTok after making a wish list.

‘Brianna didn’t want her mother to have access to her phone and rarely put it down. It always depended on her person.

“Brianna was considered to be at average risk of child sexual exploitation.”

The fear for her safety led to a referral to social services in 2022.

Days before the murder, the teenager and her grandmother were called to a meeting in Birchwood after she refused to attend classes for a week.

Ms Clark raised concerns about ‘inappropriate use of telephones, the unacceptable length of her skirt, which she kept rolling up (and) disrespectful behavior towards staff’.

Asked about Jenkinson’s arrival when she was also placed in the ‘inclusion unit’ with Brianna, Ms Clark said that ‘nothing (in her behaviour) would indicate that she posed a risk’.

The apparent friendship between Brianna and Jenkinson was “seen as positive” and “there was never any sense of untoward behavior,” the teacher recalled.

Ms Clark added: ‘We couldn’t have foreseen what would happen.’

Fiona Cowan, Warrington Council’s head of child protection, said a review of Jenkinson’s school transfer found government guidance was met but the information could have been assessed more ‘robustly’.

Mental health and other evidence will be considered in future cases.

Ms Cowan said the cannabis-sweet incident cannot be seen as a precursor to such a brutal crime.

Sandie Hayes, head of children’s social care at Wigan Council, said Ratcliffe was known to social services shortly after his birth.

Ms Hayes gave no further details but said: ‘Eddie’s mother and extended family were considered a safety factor.’

Earlier this year, his father Kyle Ratcliffe, 36, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after admitting indecent exposure and forming an indecent image of a child – and not his son.

Esther Ghey made no comment after the judicial investigation.