A teenage boy has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 15-year-old Elianne Andam, who was stabbed at a bus stop in Croydon, south London, in September last year. The boy, who is aged 17 and therefore cannot be named, denied murder and possession of a blade in a public place. Prosecutors declined to accept the manslaughter plea and a trial will begin in November at the Old Bailey. Andam was with two female friends when she was repeatedly stabbed by a masked attacker who took a large knife from his waistband. She died at the scene.
The aunt of the victim, who had a wide range of interests including music, fashion, drawing and cooking, spoke of her at her November funeral. She described Andam as a “remarkable and multifaceted individual” possessed of a “charismatic and vivacious” personality. The aunt added that Andam’s memory would be “cherished in our hearts”.
Andam’s family said she was “the light of our lives” after her death. The defendant was arrested later on the day of the attack. Prosecutor Alison Morgan described the incident in court as “a brutal attack”.
Andam’s death is one of several stabbing fatalities in the Croydon area in recent years. In 2019, a young man was killed in a knife attack at a house party, while teenager Aren Mali, was killed in nearby Thornton Heath in the same year
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