Saffie Roussos: Funeral of youngest victim of Manchester bombing
Written by News on 26/07/2017
The funeral of Saffie Rose Roussos, the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing, is taking place at the city’s cathedral.
Dozens of mourners carrying a single red rose – at the request of the family – arrived to celebrate her life and pay their last respects to the eight-year-old.
They were handed a Mass card showing a smiling photo of the young girl, with the message: "We would like to thank you for being here today with us and for all your love & support. The Roussos family."
The family had invited anyone affected by the atrocity to attend the service, held two months after the attack and a steady stream of people began arriving at the cathedral from mid-morning onwards.
Saffie, from Leyland, near Preston, was killed as she left the arena after an Ariana Grande concert in May, having been given the tickets by her parents for Christmas.
The young girl died from multiple injuries sustained in the blast, which killed 22 people, seven of them under 18, when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a home-made bomb packed with nuts and bolts.
Her mother, Lisa Roussos, 48, who is still receiving treatment after being gravely injured at the arena, arrived at the service with her arm in a sling.
She was accompanied by Saffie’s step-sister Ashlee Bromwich, who was also wounded.
In Tarleton, the village where Saffie and her brother went to school, people tied pink balloons to gate posts and lampposts as a mark of remembrance.
A short service will also be held in the local church later.
The family have published a moving montage of photographs of Saffie, set to Ariana Grande’s hit One Last Time, which are being used in the service.
The YouTube video shows a series of family pictures, including Saffie playing with her brother Xander and the little girl on holiday with her parents, wearing make-up and dressing up.
Saffie’s friends hope the video, which is part of her funeral, will be liked and shared using the hashtag Saffiethesuperstar to fulfil her dream of becoming a YouTube star.
(c) Sky News 2017: Saffie Roussos: Funeral of youngest victim of Manchester bombing
