Man appears in court charged with murder of 2 year old daughter
31-year-old also charged with rape and sexual assault of a child under 13
Last updated 12 hours ago
A man has appeared in court accused of murdering his two-year-old daughter in Chertsey.
Kevin Kerjean, 31, a French national born in the Central African Republic, is also facing charges of rape and sexual assault of a child under 13, according to Surrey Police.
Kerjean attended Guildford Crown Court on Monday, where he spoke only to confirm his name, spending much of the hearing with his hand over his face.
The victim was not named in court but the Crown Prosecution Service later told the Press Association she was the defendant’s daughter Assia Kerjean.
Officers were called to a property in Pyrcroft Road, Chertsey, at around 5.40pm on Thursday, after concerns about safety reports and the girl was found dead.
The child is thought to be known to the accused and officers believe the incident took place within a family setting, Surrey Police said.
Kerjean appeared at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday and was remanded ahead of Monday’s crown court hearing.
Judge Patricia Lees ordered that he next appear in custody for a pre-trial preparation hearing on September 14 and a three-week trial was provisionally set for January 4 at Guildford Crown Court.
The Home Office previously confirmed that Kerjean legally entered the UK and applied for European Union Settled Status in December 2020, Surrey Police said on Sunday.
He was granted leave to remain in the UK in March 2021 and received an extension which gave him permission to remain until March 2031.
The force also said that rumours online that the incident took place in an asylum seeker house of multiple occupancy (HMO) are “incorrect”.
On Friday, bouquets of flowers were left at the entrance to Syward Place, a flat complex on the corner of Pyrcroft Road and Bell Bridge Road.