A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of 15-year-old Elianne Andam in Croydon, south London.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at youth court, sitting at Croydon magistrates court, on Friday. He has also been charged with possession of a knife. He was remanded in custody after his appearance.
Police were called to reports of a stabbing on Wellesley Road at about 8.30am on Wednesday. Elianne died at the scene.
Her parents, Michael and Dorcas, appeared there on Thursday evening accompanied by about 20 family members and friends. They hugged and consoled each other, while some laid flowers under the gaze of dozens of photographers and camera operators.
Later, Bishop Rosemarie Mallett read a statement on behalf of the family, with Elianne’s aunt Marian by her side. It said: “We as a family are struggling to comprehend this painful tragedy that has happened to our beautiful daughter and beloved sister Elianne. Our hearts are broken. And we are overwhelmed by sorrow and grief. Our faith in the Lord is strengthening us.
“We would like to express our gratitude to those who have taken the time to send us thoughtful and compassionate messages and prayers. We kindly ask for your consideration to also respect our need for privacy as we attempt to come to grips with our deeply devastating loss.
“Elianne was a beautiful person inside and out who loved Jesus. She was intelligent, thoughtful, kind and had a bright future ahead of her. It is our request that you keep our cherished daughter Elianne and our family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Earlier in the day, the family released a statement through the Metropolitan police, saying: “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.”
