A TORY MSP has been rebuked by the First Minister for trying to "make party political points" out of the death of Alesha MacPhail.
During First Minister's Questions, Liam Kerr asked Sturgeon why Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf had not met with the family of the six-year-old who was killed by teenager Aaron Campbell last year.
Kerr referenced a tweet from the Justice Secretary stating he would meet with the young girl's family.
Alesha MacPhail was abducted from her grandparents' home on the Isle of Bute before being raped and killed by Aaron Campbell, 16.
In March, Campbell was given a life sentence with a minimum of 27 years.
That number was later reduced to 24 on account of his age at the time of the murder.
READ MORE: Alesha MacPhail's mother hits out at jail-term cut for murderer
According to the First Minister, the Justice Secretary had assured Alesha's mother Georgina Lochrane he would meet with her before the rest of the family.
Sturgeon claimed the meeting between Yousaf and Lochrane had not yet been facilitated.
The First Minister said: "I'll continue to support my Justice Secretary in taking the appropriate and sensitive and right action that he's taken.
"Just to be clear, Presiding Officer, the Justice Secretary made a commitment that he would meet with Alesha MacPhail's mum before he met with any other members of the family.
"Unfortunately, and for entirely understandable reasons, that meeting had to be postponed by Alesha's mum.
"The Justice Secretary will honour that commitment to meet with the little girl's mum and when he has done so he will, as he said he would, meet with other members of the family."
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Sturgeon then hit out at the Conservative justice spokesman for attempting to use the case for political gain.
She said: "I really, honestly, don't think we should be trying to make party political points out of such a tragic case."
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