Mourners hold candlelight vigil for tragic Gaia Pope week after body discovered
Grieving friends and family members, including her father, Richard Sutherland, addressed those gathered, who observed a minute’s silence.
A candlelight vigil has been held for Gaia Pope a week after her body was found.
Scores of mourners joined members of her family to pay their respects to the 19-year-old.
The amphitheatre in the Prince Albert Gardens in Swanage, Dorset was illuminated as people lit candles in memory of the teenager on Saturday evening.
Grieving friends and family members, including her father, Richard Sutherland, addressed those gathered, who observed a minute’s silence.
Many placed candles in glass jars near a floral tribute spelling GAIA below a framed picture of Miss Pope.
The teenager’s disappearance on November 7 sparked a massive campaign from family and friends to find her.
Miss Pope, who suffered from severe epilepsy, had not been seen for 11 days when her body was found last Saturday, on land south of Swanage, close to where some of her clothing was recovered.
A post-mortem examination did not identify any injuries to suggest third party involvement and police said the death was being treated as unexplained.
Three people arrested in connection with her disappearance were released by police without any further action being taken.
