A 35-year-old man has been charged after a nine-year-old girl was found with serious injuries at an industrial estate in Arbroath and later died in hospital, with Police Scotland confirming the pair were known to one another.
A man has been charged in connection with the death of a nine-year-old girl who was found seriously injured at an industrial estate in Angus. Police Scotland said officers were called to Elliot Industrial Estate in Arbroath at around 12.02am on Monday after the schoolgirl was discovered injured. She was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where she later died. The force confirmed the girl and the man were known to each other, and that her family, who are from West Yorkshire, had been camping in the area at the time.
The charge and what happens next
A 35-year-old white British man was arrested in connection with what police described as a “suspicious” death and has since been charged. He is due to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court on Wednesday. Under Scottish law, anyone charged with a serious offence must appear before a sheriff or judge, where they are formally informed of the charges against them and decisions are made on matters including bail or remand. As with any person accused of a criminal offence in Scotland, he remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
How the investigation is being handled
The case is being investigated by Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, which deals with serious crimes including suspected homicides. Once inquiries are complete, a formal report will be submitted to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scotland’s independent public prosecution service, which will determine whether criminal proceedings should continue. As is standard practice in cases of this kind, forensic investigators are expected to have carried out extensive examinations of the scene, gathering evidence such as DNA, fingerprints, digital material and any available CCTV footage, while a post-mortem examination will be carried out to establish the medical cause of death, which may also provide evidence relevant to any future criminal proceedings. It is common for industrial sites and other locations connected to serious incidents to remain secured for an extended period while crime scene investigators and forensic specialists complete their work.
Support for the family
Police Scotland said the girl’s relatives are being supported by specialist officers, a role often carried out by family liaison officers, who are typically assigned to support relatives during homicide investigations, providing updates and practical assistance as the inquiry proceeds. Investigations involving the death of a child are treated as among the highest priority by Scottish police and prosecutors, with specialist child protection officers often working alongside detectives on cases of this nature.
No wider risk to the public
Police Scotland has said detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and have stated there is no wider risk to the public, with officers believing the incident to have been isolated.
Where it happened
Arbroath is a coastal town in Angus, in eastern Scotland, located around 17 miles, or 27 kilometres, northeast of Dundee.
