Just over a year on from the death of Semina Halliwell a touching tribute has been made to the tragic 12-year-old.
Semina's grieving mum, Rachel Halliwell, unveiled a portrait of her daughter at The Atkinson in Southport last night (Wednesday, July 21), in an event intended for family and friends to remember the much-loved schoolgirl. The stunning portrait is the work of artist Robert Newbiggin.
Semina, a year 7 pupil at Stanley High School in Southport, on June 12, 2021, after spending four nights in hospital. Her mum, Rachel, said she took her own life shortly after an interview with a police officer. The schoolgirl said she was raped by an older boy who she said had groomed her over Snapchat.
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Earlier this year people gathered for an emotional balloon release to mark the first year anniversary of Semina's death. Rachel spoke to the ECHO ahead of the release and said: "It's really hard over the next few days because of the fact she was awake and we had to watch her die while her organs failed and talk to her during all of this.
"This is the worst part. It's almost like I'm reliving every second of it because this time last year she was going through all of this."
The portrait will remain at The Atkinson until September 10 before moving onto a gallery in Liverpool that is yet to be decided. The portrait will move from gallery to gallery across the UK with the hope of it eventually ending up in the National Portrait Gallery in London for a short time to raise as much awareness as possible of Semina's story.
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