Gaia Pope death: Family welcomes pre-inquest review hearing

Gaia Pope's body was found 11 days after she went missing in November 2017

The family of a teenager found dead 11 days after going missing in Dorset have welcomed the news that a date has been set for a pre-inquest review hearing.

Gaia Pope's body was found near a coastal path in the Purbeck area of Dorset on 18 November 2017.

Her family said that after "two long years of waiting in the dark and in silence, finally we are taking another step towards justice for Gaia".

The hearing is due to take place at Bournemouth Coroner's Court on 6 Feb.

Miss Pope's sister Clara Pope-Sutherland (left), her twin Maya Pope-Sutherland (centre) and cousin Marienna Pope-Weidemann laid flowers on the second anniversary of her death

In a statement on its Facebook page the family said: "It will be our first chance to appear in court and call for the truth."

It will see the coroner plan out the final inquest.

The family hopes Dorset Police's response and subsequent searches for the missing teenager will be examined.

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Dorset Police is being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over the way it handled a previous rape allegation by Gaia and her disappearance.

In November her family called on any other survivors of a sex offender who Gaia had accused of rape to come forward.

Following her disappearance on 7 November 2017, searches by hundreds of volunteers, police, the coastguard and police helicopter were carried out in the Swanage area.

Miss Pope's body was found by police near a coastal path close to where items of her clothing had been found two days earlier.

A post-mortem examination concluded she died of hypothermia.