Own up to Olivia’s murder, mother pleads to gunman
THE heartbroken mother of Olivia Pratt-korbel has released an emotional video in which she urges her daughter’s killers to “own up”, telling them “no one at all should have to go through this”.
Breaking down in tears, Cheryl Korbel described Olivia as her “little shadow” and said she missed hearing her voice every day.
The video, along with an appeal from Olivia’s father, was released as the hunt for the nine-year-old’s killers entered its third week. She was shot dead on Aug 22 when a man opened fire as he chased a convicted burglar and drug dealer into her family’s house. Merseyside Police has made a number of arrests in connection with the murder but no one has been charged.
Describing her daughter, Ms Korbel, who was shot in the hand during the attack, said: “She was amazing, she loved life. She was my little shadow she went everywhere with me.”
She went on: “Everyone she met, they all fell in love with her. She left her mark on everyone she met and she may well have only been nine but she packed a lot in those nine years.
“She hurt your ears because she never, never stopped talking and that is what I miss the most, because I can’t hear her talk.” Urging those responsible to own up she added: “I am hoping that they come forward so that this doesn’t happen to anybody else. You know you have done wrong so you need to own up like I have taught my kids. You do something wrong, you own up to it.”
In a statement issued by Merseyside Police, Mr Pratt and his family said: “Words can’t express the pain we are going through after Olivia was so cruelly snatched away from us.
“We would like to thank those who
‘Everyone she met, they all fell in love with her. She was amazing. She left her mark on everyone’
have come forward. At the same time, we want to urge others who may have evidence to keep coming forward with information which could help put those responsible for our Olivia’s murder behind bars.
“Olivia’s death cannot be in vain.” A 34-year-old man from Liverpool, arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, remains in custody after police were granted an extension to continue questioning him.
Three men have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.