THE family of Gaia Pope paid a heartfelt tribute to the “fiercely loyal” teen after her inquest concluded.

Jurors concluded Miss Pope died as a result of her mental health and mental state and her not being referred to the community mental health team after a 12-week inquest at Bournemouth Town Hall.

Miss Pope, who first went missing on November 7, 2017 and was found in undergrowth on a clifftop near Dancing Ledge 11 days later, was described as “bright, brave and kind”.

Bournemouth Echo:

READ MORE: Gaia Pope: What the jury concluded about her death

Marienna Pope-Weidemann, Miss Pope’s cousin, said on behalf of the family: Let us begin by thanking everyone who did their absolute best for Gaia: to Her Majesty’s Coastguard, Dorset Search & Rescue and all the community volunteers who worked so hard to bring our girl home safe. We also want to thank our family and friends, including the Elsey family, who did nothing to deserve the nightmare they were put through.

“There are no words to express our grief, after one of the longest individual inquests in British history unearthed more than 50 missed opportunities in Gaia’s care and the search for her.

“A few missed opportunities might be human error; this many are not. This many can only be seen as the wreckage left by a perfect storm of unchecked misogyny and a decade of austerity cuts, which have brought our public services to their knees.

“Gaia was many things. A beloved daughter, sister and friend. Bright, brave, kind, creative and fiercely loyal to those she loved. She was funny and insightful, passionate and principled. We have always been and will always be very proud of her.

“There has been a lot of talk about the complexity of Gaia’s case, the complexity of her needs but the truth is Gaia’s needs were not that complicated. They were basic. She needed to be treated with kindness, respect and dignity. She needed professionals to take the time to listen to her and her family and each other. She needed trauma-informed support and advocacy as she pursued justice and tried to rebuild her life. She needed to be protected and she needed to be heard.

“Gaia’s story epitomises all that is wrong with British policing and cuts to the heart of why public confidence has never been so low.

READ MORE: Dorset Police apologises to Gaia Pope's family

“This is not just Gaia’s story. While the number of sex offenses reported to Dorset Police has doubled in the past ten years, charges have halved and that is why we are launching a campaign for Dorset Police to invest in a rape and serious sexual offenses unit of officers who are trained to investigate properly and protect people like Gaia.

“She deserved better. All of us do. This is now a world without Gaia in it and that makes it a darker place.

“We miss her every minute and there can be no justice for a loss like this but we know how proud Gaia would be of what we have achieved here, having argued successfully for the coroner’s unprecedented decision to issue numerous vital prevention of future deaths reports that challenge the underpinnings of austerity and misogyny at a local and national level.

“We hope that this leads to real change not just in Dorset but throughout the country, and will save future lives.

“However, there is a lot more work to be done. What we do demand, is justice for those left behind: the on in four women and girls subjected to sexual violence; the seven in 10 young people who need mental health support and are not getting it; the countless families in this country breaking under the weight of the impossible task of filling in for public services trashed by a negligent government. All the lives not yet lost, precious and worth fighting for.

“If it takes a lifetime, it will be a lifetime well spent because Gaia is worth that and so are all of you.”