2pm UPDATE: The Metropolitan Police has charged a 17-year-old boy with the murder in Croydon of Elianne Andam on Wednesday.
Murder victim: Elianne Andam was on her way to school when she was killed
The teenager, who cannot be named because he is under 18, appeared at youth court, sitting at Croydon Magistrates’ Court, this morning.
The police yesterday recovered what is believed to be the murder weapon, a large-bladed knife, about a mile from the scene of the attack, on Cedar Road, Addiscombe. Some reports describe the weapon as a “Zombie knife”, with a foot-long serrated blade.
The boy has also been charged with possession of a knife.
The suspect was arrested in New Addington around 75 minutes after the incident.
In court this morning, lawyers acting for the boy said he had not indicated how he would plead to the charges.
He was remanded in youth detention and is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.
Reports suggest that there had been an argument on the bus between the boy and one of Elianne’s friends. The stabbing is said to have happened shortly after the group got off the No60 at the Whitgift Centre bus stop.
Vigil: members of the public laid flowers at the scene yesterday
When another girl rejected the offer of a bunch of flowers from the boy, Elianne was said to have intervened. It was then that the boy pulled out the knife, stabbing Elianne in the neck and chest.
Despite the efforts of the bus driver and a passenger, and emergency services who were at the scene within two minutes, Elianne died a few minutes later.
She is the 15th teenaged Londoner to be murdered on the streets of the capital this year.
The police say that her family “continue to be supported by specially trained officers”.
Some attended a vigil at the now flower-strewn scene yesterday evening accompanied by the Bishop of Croydon, Dr Rosemarie Mallett.
In interviews with London television news reporters, Rishi Sunak said he was shocked and appalled at Elianne’s death and that sentences for knife-related crimes should be toughened.
“Everyone will be looking at that and be shocked as I am, appalled by what’s happened and, quite frankly, angry.
“It just illustrates the importance of clamping down on knife crime,” Sunak said.
UPDATED at 2pm to include details of the accused’s non-plea in court.
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Name the killer
That would be contempt of court and against the law. And as you can’t even abide by the simple “no anonymous comments” rule, your instruction is not something which we’re going to consider
I think it’s good for Community Leaders to work with teachers to talk with the children on all levels of avoiding violence, how to peacefully settle disputes in or out of school. The knife crime in Croydon is more rife than we think as many youths are taking things into their own hands, therefore not all crimes are reported, apart from this tragic murder, there are many youths still walking with knives or they hide it nearby. A meeting with concerned parents and youths with Community leaders in schools, should be encouraged as many parents cannot control their children, there’s only so much they can do, especially where the Child rights have them bounded, too much, which spirals into disrespect for authority.
Those who argue that 16-year-olds should be able to vote should be the first to call for the law to be changed so that they are no longer protected by anonymity in such circumstances.
Now that is an interesting idea! Lots of laws would need to be changed
Hmmm this is the solution right here, but will it be heard and not ignored!? That’s the important question.
I had a friend, a grandfather, stabbed and killed outside his home. The culprit had previous convictions for carrying a knife and was only releseg from prision 3 months earlier for his previous offence with care in the community. The problem was there was no care in the community, he stopped taking his medication and was found guilty of manslaughter in view of his mental illness.
It seems to me that unless we have a policy that killing someone on the streets in the UK will bring a life sentence, no ifs, no buts you know the penalty. We cannot hoper to stop people carrying knives on the streets of any age or stop them using knives for whatever reason. We should do the same for guns. The law gets too tied up with too many loopholes for people convicted of offences. The killer of my friend is up for release from his prision sentence two years after the killing. The authorities obviously want him out to make room for someone else, and look what happened last time.