Police issue update on immigration status of man charged with murdering two-year-old girl

Police have issued an update on the immigration status of the man charged with murdering a two-year-old girl in Surrey.

Kevin Kerjean, who was also charged with rape of a child under 13 and sexual assault of a child under 13, is a French national from the Central African Republic, police said.

Surrey Police has now said Kerjean came to Britain legally and had leave to remain in the country.

In an update, the force said he legally entered the UK and applied for EU Settled Status in December 2020.

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Kerjean was granted leave to remain in the UK in March 2021, and received an extension which gave him permission to remain until March 2031.

Police also addressed speculation the alleged crimes were carried out in an asylum seeker HMO (House in Multiple Occupation), saying simply: "This is incorrect."

"At this time, it is understood that those involved were known to each other and officers believe it took place within a family setting," police said on Sunday.

The 31-year-old appeared at Guildford Magistrates' Court on Saturday and was remanded ahead of his next appearance at Guildford Crown Court on Monday.

Officers had been called to an address on Pyrcroft Road in Chertsey shortly before 6pm on Thursday afternoon "following reports of a concern for safety".

When they arrived, the two-year-old girl was found dead inside.

"This is a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the child’s family, as well as all those who knew her," Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Groenen said.

"Our teams are working hard to build a picture of what happened and a significant police presence will remain in Pyrcroft Road over the coming days.

"We appreciate that the incident itself, as well as the significant police presence, will be concerning for residents and we would like to thank them for their co-operation as we conduct our investigation.

Surrey Police added that by Sunday afternoon it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

In 2021, the Home Office granted Settled Status to 694,186 applicants under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Between August 2018 and March 2026, Settled Status was given to more than four million EU nationals, including just over 169,000 from France.

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