THE parents of victims killed in a spate of shootings in 2022, including nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, are coming together in the hope of preventing young people from turning to a life of crime.

Cheryl Korbel, whose daughter was killed when Thomas Cashman fired shots into her home in August 2022, joined other bereaved relatives today to launch a new Merseyside Police education initiative, four years on from the shootings. 

The same week Olivia died, Ashley Dale, 28, and Sam Rimmer, 22, were also killed in separate incidents in Liverpool, while beautician Elle Edwards, 26, was shot dead outside a Wirral pub that Christmas Eve.

The families gathered at Olivia’s memorial tree in Dovecot to launch the Dear Merseyside initiative, named after a poem by Joseph Roberts.

Ms Korbel said: “Olivia should have turned 13 on June 13 2026. 

“She would be in high school with her friends, sharing the excitement of becoming a teenager. 

“Instead, we are left holding the milestones she never got to reach.”

Ms Dale’s mother, Julie, said the families had supported one another through their grief. 

“We get it, we get what each other are going through. People can say, ‘Oh, we know how you’re feeling.’ Not until your child’s been murdered. No-one knows how you’re feeling,” she said.

The Dear Merseyside resource will launch in schools in September as part of the force’s Evolve programme, using the families’ stories to encourage young people to think differently about violence. 

In a joint statement, the families said: “We hope they see that every act of violence leaves families, friends and communities living with its consequences forever. 

“If this helps even one young person to think differently, make a better choice or stay safe, it matters.”