Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Bereavement charity advice on how to speak to children about murder

The shocking news of the death of Olivia Pratt-Korbel on Monday followed a spate of killings involving guns and knives on Merseyside, which saw four people murdered in a week.

The same night as nine-year-old Olivia was shot in her Dovecot home, two men were arrested over the fatal stabbing of Karen Dempsey, 55, in the car park of the Brambles pub in Kirkby.

In a separate incident, Knowsley Council worker Ashley Dale, 28, died after being shot in the back garden of her house on Leinster Road in Old Swan in the early hours of Sunday.

Meanwhile, police have made three murder arrests following the fatal shooting of Sam Rimmer, 22, in Dingle last Tuesday.

But the death of Olivia has hit the city particularly hard, with Merseyside Police moved to conduct a press conference, where detectives vowed they ‘will not rest’ until her killer is caught.

Joseph Nee, 35, from the Dovecot area of Liverpool, has been named as the intended target of the fatal home invasion shooting. He has been arrested in hospital after being shot as he and a masked gunman burst into Olivia’s home during a gun chase.

The murder of Olivia has touched every part of the city and childhood bereavement charity Winston's Wish have shared their guidance on how to talk to children about homicide-related death.

‘Be honest and reassuring’

Letizia Perna, Director of Services and Service Transformation at Winston's Wish, said: "It's inevitable that children and young people will have questions. One question that we are all going to face, and I faced it with my own daughter, was why did this happen? That's the million pound question I wish we all had an answer for.

“I think it's fine to be honest with some of these questions we don't know ourselves. The biggest thing is really about using it as an opportunity to talk about feelings but also to try and reassure young people."

"Using a word such as death or this person has died is absolutely the right thing to do. I think sometimes saying things like passed away or gone away can be really confusing, and obviously, the whole concept of death is quite abstract for children.

“It's really quite direct. It can feel really blunt as an adult to use heavily loaded words; I think it's a word that, even between adults, we struggle to use. But, it's really quite key to demystify death and to use those words."

“This sad news of Olivia’s death will be affecting many children and families across the city of Liverpool and beyond, whether they have a direct relation to the family or through reminding them of their loved ones.

“As a society, we find it very hard to think of the impact of death by violence on the family of the person who died. Yet, sadly children and young people may be more aware of murder and manslaughter as a cause of death than almost any other.”

Winston's Wish provides support for grieving children, young people and for adults supporting them through their Freephone Helpline, email and crisis messenger.

The Winston’s Wish Helpline, staffed by experienced practitioners, provides guidance and information for anyone supporting a bereaved child – 08088 020 021. Calls to the Winston’s Wish Helpline are free.