'I forgive the children who took Brianna's life' - Esther Ghey's remarkable empathy is an example to us all

In the time since her daughter Brianna was murdered, Esther Ghey has forgiven the children who carried out the 'senseless' act.

On February 11, 2023, 16-year-old Brianna Ghey was lured to a park in Cheshire and murdered by her friend and classmate Scarlett Jenkinson, and her friend Eddie Ratcliffe. Both were aged 15 at the time.

Brianna: A Mother’s Story is a 75-minute documentary airing on ITV on March 27, which celebrates Brianna’s life and keeps her memory alive by interviewing her friends, who offer viewers insight into who she was.

It also explores online safety, looking closely Scarlett Jenkinson's ability to access the dark web and view distressing content, and puts a spotlight on social media companies and the role they play.

Ahead of the documentary, Brianna's mother, Esther, has spoken of the forgiveness she has for the children and families of Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, and of the friendship she maintains with Scarlett's mum. The empathy Esther shows towards those responsible for the death of her daughter is simply remarkable, and something people want to know more about and understand.

Appearing on Women's Hour with Anita Rani, Esther describes witnessing the grief the other families were also experiencing during the trial, noting how the impact of one 'senseless' moment has profoundly impacted so many lives.

"It wasn't only me that lost my child on that day," she says, adding, "it was the parents of the other children as well." Esther felt it was important to meet Scarlett's mother to dispel an misconceptions she had about her and form her own judgments about the mother of the child who took her daughter's life.

She found Scarlett's mother to be "a really lovely, normal woman." Continuing to talk about how she now feels about meeting with the parents, Esther admirably says, "The power of forgiveness is absolutely remarkable and I know how much it's impacted me in my life."

"I forgive the children that took Brianna's life away from me, but that's for me. It's not for them, it's because I don't want to carry that hate in my heart."

It was here Anita asked Esther a question no doubt on the minds of many. "I think people will find that really hard to understand," the radio presenter said.

"It's for selfish reasons really, it's for me," Esther reiterated.

As the documentary about her daughter drew closer, Esther Ghey made an appearance on Good Morning Britain, where Brianna's story was discussed alongside inevitable comparisons to Netflix's Adolescence.

She's called for a government inquiry into the rise of violence in schools and the impact social media is having on young people - particularly calling out the "violent and misogynistic content served to young people."

Adolescence delves into schoolboy Jamie Miller, who is radicalised online by incel culture and the manosphere. It shows just what can happen when teens and tweens with smartphones readily access this content - like Brianna, a young girl in the show named Katie is murdered as a result of what Jamie had been viewing.

During her appearance on GMB, Esther describes Brianna feeling anxious about getting the bus to school on the morning of her death, texting her mum via WhatsApp to let her know how she was feeling.

Esther replied with a positive message to her daughter, which never showed the two 'blue ticks' of having been read. "I don't know whether she ever knew how proud I really was of her," she concludes.

Brianna: A Mother’s Story, will air on Thursday March 27 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.