Police have charged a man in connection with the death of a nine-year-old girl in Arbroath, with three other members of her family taken to hospital after the incident.
Officers from Police Scotland were called to an industrial estate in the Angus town in the early hours of Monday morning, where the girl was found. Three family members were also discovered at the scene and were subsequently taken to hospital for treatment. Police have not disclosed the nature of their injuries or their current condition. The force earlier confirmed that the man who has been charged was known to the victim. The three family members are believed to be relatives of the girl, although police have not formally confirmed their relationship. The industrial estate remained the focus of police activity on Monday.
The man is due to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court on Wednesday, August 5, having been charged in connection with the girl’s death. In the Scottish criminal justice system, the first court appearance normally allows the sheriff to consider whether the accused should be remanded in custody or released on bail while the investigation continues. The Crown can make objections to bail, including on the grounds of public safety or the risk of interfering with witnesses, and the sheriff can ask for further reports before deciding.
According to reports, the family had been on a camping trip in the Arbroath area, on the east coast of Scotland. The incident has prompted a large police operation, with detectives gathering evidence at the industrial estate and in surrounding areas. Police have released limited information, and neither the girl nor the accused man has been publicly identified so far. The age of the victim and the number of family members requiring hospital care are among the details likely to be examined as the case develops. It is not yet known how the girl died or what led to the three family members needing hospital care.
In normal practice, the accused will be asked to confirm his identity at the hearing and a date will then be set for the next stage of proceedings. Cases of this seriousness can be passed to the High Court, where a preliminary hearing and any eventual trial would take place. No such step has yet been announced, and the immediate focus will be on the hearing in Dundee on Wednesday.
The police investigation began with the early-morning call to the industrial estate and has led to the charge now facing the man. The hearing will mark the first formal stage of the legal case, and further information may be given once the court has dealt with the initial appearance.
