Hundreds turn out for funeral of girl nobody knows

Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of a stillborn baby girl who nobody knew. The baby, named Raihana by officers who found her, was given an official naming ceremony before her coffin was lowered into the ground in Oxford. A sign to be erected beside the small grave read: ‘RIP Raihana. Born asleep February 2016. Nobody was ever able to find Raihana’s family. Det Insp Jim Holmes – the officer who named her – put out a final appeal to find Raihana’s mother before the funeral.Metro.co.uk began a financial appeal to raise money for the baby’s funeral, and for people to donate in her memory. ‘No matter how small the lead, we will follow it up,’ he said, in a moving speech delivered at Raihana’s graveside. ‘We will keep on trying to find your mother. That is my promise to you.’ Members of the public left pink teddy bears and bouquets of flowers, along with notes of remembrance. Det Insp Holmes chose her name because it is known across the Arabic- speaking world, and means ‘heaven’s flower’. He continued: ‘For someone who was on the earth for such a short time, you have touched the hearts and minds of the community and the entire country. ‘You have left an indelible mark.’ The service was carried out by a celebrant from the British Humanist Association, who said: ‘The little girl we are saying goodbye to today remains unknown. ‘Her mother unfortunately has not come forward so we know nothing about her family or her heritage. ‘We can’t say if her mother had any personal religion. ‘We have our humanity in common, knowing it is what brings us together today. ‘This little girl is one of our own and one of our community. ‘We are giving her a home in our hearts.’