A 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death in a daylight attack on Wellesley Road in Croydon, a large town in South London.
The incident involving Elianne Andam, who according to the UK Guardian has Ghanaian parents, has become the subject of widespread reports in the international media space.
According to reports, she was on her way to school on Wednesday (September 27, 2023) morning with a friend who had been approached by an ex-lover with flowers when they disembarked from the bus.
Elianne, a pupil of Old Palace of John Whitgift School, was stabbed in the neck with a foot-long knife as she reportedly protected her friend from the attacker, a boy known to them.
A Metropolitan Police statement said of the incident: "Elianne Andam was on her way to school when she was attacked in Wellesley Road at approximately 08:30hrs on Wednesday, 27 September.
"Officers were at the scene within two minutes of the call being received. They worked with emergency service colleagues to provide first aid. Despite their efforts, the 15-year-old sadly died at the scene."
On her Ghanaian parentage, the UK Guardian wrote: Elianne’s father is a writer of Christian teachings, while her mother works as an NHS specialist nurse safeguarding children. Both are of Ghanaian heritage and are active in the Christian community.
Further checks by GhanaWeb identified her mother as Dorcas and her father as Michael.
The UK Mirror stated in their report: "Her mum Dorcas broke down in tears as she visited the scene this evening, supported by approximately 30 family members. Elianne's father Michael was also present."
Family spokespersonn speaks:
A spokesperson for Elianne’s family said: “Our hearts are broken by the senseless death of our daughter. Elianne was the light of our lives. She was bright and funny, with many friends who all adored her.
“She was only 15 and had her whole life ahead of her, with hopes and dreams for the future.
"All those dreams have now been shattered. Our lives have fallen apart, along with that of our wider family. We ask the media to please respect our privacy as we try to grieve the short life of our beautiful child.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have all lamented the murder.
Police announce arrest:
Within 75 minutes of the incident, a 17-year-old boy was arrested in New Addington on suspicion of murder.
A 12-hour extension to his custody time limit was granted by a senior officer this morning and he remains in custody at a South London police station.
Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Woodsford, who is leading the investigation, said: "My thoughts and the thoughts of my team are with the Elianne's family. This is a deeply upsetting time for them and we will do everything we can to support them.
"Our investigation continues and we are making good progress. We have recovered CCTV from the area and have spoken to a number of witnesses. Forensic scientists have also examined the scene.
"From these enquiries, we are now confident Elianne was attacked outside in Wellesley Road near the bus stop rather than onboard the bus.
"We know many people were in the area at the time and would have witnessed the attack. This would have been distressing and traumatic and I would encourage anyone who needs support to contact us and we will help to arrange this.
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"I know that Elianne's death has left many people feeling upset and I would like to thank the people of Croydon for the support they have shown us as we have carried out our enquiries in the town centre. I know this work has been disruptive, however, it has been vital and your patience is appreciated."
A post-mortem examination reportedly took place on the afternoon of Thursday, 28 September.
The suspect knew the victim. Further enquiries are taking place to establish their exact relationship.
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