Dad’s heartbreak ahead of the funeral of Sophia Rose

Sophia Rose – the little girl who was stabbed to death by her mother in Queensland – will be farewelled at a funeral today with her father Jai sharing this emotional tribute.

Sophia Rose, daughter of Jai Ruane.

• The murder that shocked a nation

The father of a little girl who was stabbed to death by her mother on the front lawn of their Queensland home says he should be celebrating his daughter’s fourth birthday instead of holding her funeral.

Sophia Rose will be farewelled today – just two days before her birthday – at a service in Victoria, where her father and siblings have now moved to be closer to their family.

Sophia was killed by her mother Lauren Ingrid Flanigan outside their Moore Park home on May 26, while her two siblings were inside the house.

In an exclusive interview with The Courier-Mail, Sophia’s father Jai Ruane said he still couldn’t believe he has to lay her to rest on Saturday.

“Instead of celebrating Sophia’s fourth birthday, we’re having a funeral,” he said.

“A funeral that shouldn’t be happening, as there is supposed to be systems in place to protect children but that clearly failed.”

Jai Ruane with his daughter Sophia Rose on her first birthday.

Mr Ruane said Sophia’s birthday was always a really big celebration in their family.

“Her first birthday was just at home, but the family came up from Melbourne and we got her like a $300 cake,” he said.

“Then at the second birthday, she had two birthdays, one in Queensland and then we came down to Victoria and had a massive one as well at my mum and dad’s place

“We had all the family, all the cousins come over and it was a real good one.

“Her third birthday was a fairy party and now this weekend’s going to be a big event, but it’s not a birthday.”

Mr Ruane said he will always remember the last time he saw his daughter two weeks before her death because he would fly in and fly out for work.

“The family went to the local zoo. We all went there as a family, I was just holding her hand, holding Royce’s hand and all the rest,” he said.

“She just loved animals. We just spent the day there. Then we went to the park and then we just went to Hungry Jack’s for lunch.

“And we sat next to each other. Because we sat next to each other and Lauren sat across from us and she just said “Everything about her just reminds me of you,” he said.

“I was just like, yeah, “she’s my girl, of course.”

Sophia Rose

Sophia Rose

Mr Ruane said it had been just a normal day.

“She drew me a picture, she coloured me in this real good picture, which I’ve got, I’ve kept, I keep all her stuff, all their stuff from kindergarten, all the pictures,” he said.

“But that was the last one and then that was the last time I saw her, that was the last day together as a family. With her, with Lauren and everything.”

Mr Ruane said he missed when Sophia would wake him up at 5.30am and run in smiling and laughing on his days off.

“She would say “wake up daddy” and I’d be like “I’m up” and then she’d run out laughing again and she’d be in the lounge room, real happy,” he said.

“It was awesome.”

He said when he was at work they would often Facetime but when he would return from being away she would be so excited.

Sophia was killed by her mother Lauren Ingrid Flanigan outside their Moore Park home on May 26.

“The second she’d see me, she’d just sprint over and give me a big hug,” he said.

At the memorial today, everyone has been told to wear a touch of pink. He said her favourite colours were pink and purple.

“She just loved dancing and looking really pretty. She was real, like motherly as well. I’ve got so many photos of her just feeding Eva when Eva was a baby,” he said.

“And she used to go give a water bottle to Royce at daycare, like two years old, three years old.

“She was really looking after him. So she just loved pink, loved her unicorns and her fairies and really loved dancing.”

Jai Ruane with kids Royce, Eva and Sophia.

He said there were so many good memories he had with her.

“She was just a real girly girl, strong character for her age too, was a real social butterfly and she was at that age, three and a half, she was very curious so you could have good conversations with her and she’d sort of be asking a lot of things,” he said.

Since the incident Mr Ruane said his two other children, Royce and Eva, were doing well after the move to Victoria – where they relocated to have a bigger support network.

“There’s so much to do still. And my biggest concern was just Royce and Eva and getting them settled in,” he said.

“We couldn’t stay in the house, obviously. I think the memories and they’ve got all their family in Victoria. So my sister and brother live down here. They’ve got three sons each.

“So Royce has been playing with all his cousins as well. So that’s been really good.

Eva as well.”

Originally published as Dad’s heartbreak ahead of the funeral of Sophia Rose