Karen Aim's closest friend in this country has welcomed news that a 14-year-old has been charged with the Scottish tourist's murder.

Ms Aim's flatmate, Collette Martin, said she was deeply relieved at news of the arrest.

She still lives in the flat she shared with Ms Aim. And every day she walks past a bouquet of flowers laid by Ms Aim's friends on the footpath near where the backpacker's body was found.

"I am pleased the police have made an arrest but ... I am not that surprised," Ms Martin said.

A 14-year-old boy appeared in Rotorua Youth Court yesterday charged with the January 17 murder.

He is also charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Ms Aim, 26, and aggravated robbery.

Police have also charged him with the intentional damage to 19 windows at Taupo Nui-a-Tia College.

Ms Aim, who was going home after a night out with friends, was found seriously injured near the school and died in hospital of severe head injuries.

The youth was not asked to accept or deny the offences in court yesterday and he showed no reaction to the charges.

He did not acknowledge a group of 15 family members, including adults, children and infants, who were at court to support him.

He was remanded in custody to a youth justice facility for a month.

Ms Aim, who worked in Taupo, had been socialising with friends in town on the night she died.

She was last seen leaving a service station just after 2am and was found by police around 2.30am lying with severe head injuries on the footpath 50 metres from her flat in Waikato St.

She died on arrival at Taupo Hospital and was later buried near her home town, Holm, on the Orkney Islands.

Taupo Mayor Rick Cooper congratulated police on the arrest, saying the murder had shocked locals "to the core".

"It is a very isolated case for the township and the whole town really suffered in the last two months. It's been a very, very sad saga for everyone."