Mother of Olivia Pratt-Korbel tells her daughter’s killer to ‘own up’ in emotional video | UK News

The mother of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel has told her killer to “own up” in an emotional video appeal.

Cheryl Korbel, whose daughter was fatally shot in their home in Dovecot, Liverpool, paid tribute to her “little shadow” in the video, which was filmed and released by Merseyside Police.

Wearing a cast on her wrist after she was injured during the shooting, a tearful Ms Korbel said she hoped whoever was responsible for the killing would come forward.

Undated family handout photo issued by Merseyside Police of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel. The father of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was shot dead in Liverpool, has said the family has been "deprived of a real light in our lives", adding that her death "cannot be in vain". John Francis Pratt and his wider family said in a statement that "words can't express the pain we are going through after Olivia was so cruelly snatched away from us". Issue date: Tuesday September 6, 2022.
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Olivia Pratt-Korbel

“You know you’ve done wrong so you need to own up,” she said.

“Like I’ve taught my kids, you do something wrong, you own up to it.

“If anyone is hiding these guns, they need to speak up because they need to be off these streets.

“No one, no one at all should have to go through this.”

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Ms Korbel said Olivia was “amazing” and “loved life”.

“She was my little shadow. She went everywhere with me,” Ms Korbel added.

“Everyone she met, they all fell in love with her. She left a mark on everyone she met.

“She may well have only been nine but she packed a lot in to those nine years.

“She never, never stopped talking – and that’s what I miss the most because I can’t hear her talk.

“We were organising days out, we were on the summer holidays. We took Liv swimming.

“We went to Blackpool, just me and Liv.

“We were talking about going to get a new uniform for school but I didn’t get that chance to get a new uniform.

“But I’ll keep going, for Liv.”

Earlier, Olivia’s father paid tribute to his daughter and said her death “cannot be in vain”, as he called for anyone with information on her death to come forward.

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Olivia Pratt-Korbel family footage

In a statement, John Francis Pratt and his wider family said: “We don’t want another child to lose their life in such horrendous circumstances and we don’t want to see another family suffer like we are suffering now.

“Olivia’s death cannot be in vain and we want people to feel safe and be safe, that can only happen if we all come together and make sure there is no place for guns, or those who use guns on our streets or in our communities.”

Olivia was shot in her home when a gunman chased convicted burglar Joseph Nee into the property at about 10pm on 22 August.

A post-mortem examination found the medical cause of her death was a gunshot wound to the chest.

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 other men have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.