Girl, 15, Charged With Murdering British 7-Year-Old

A 15-year-old girl will appear in court this morning after being charged with the murder of seven-year-old Katie Rough. Katie Rough was found injured on a path near a playing field in Woodthorpe, York, on Monday and died soon after, the BBC reported. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon a short time after the incident took place, North Yorkshire Police said, and will appear at York Magistrates' Court. Police found Katie, who has been described as a "kind and thoughtful child", after they were called to Alness Drive on Monday afternoon. Her mother, named locally as Alison Rough, fell to her knees while crying and appealing for help after seeing her daughter injured, according to witnesses. Rob McCartney, 50, reported seeing Katie lying in the field near the quiet cul-de-sac and her mother running up the street pleading loudly for help, reported The Guardian. “I spoke to her later, asked if she was OK and she said ‘No, no, she’s my little girl’,” he said. Katie was taken to hospital shortly after police arrived at the scene but died soon after, the BBC reported. Katie's headteacher, Tracey Ralph, described her death as a "terrible loss" and said she was "a kind and thoughtful child who was well liked by both pupils and staff". Her family are "devastated by this tragic event", read a statement from North Yorkshire Police, and "have asked for their privacy to be respected at this extremely distressing time".