Source: Courtesy of / Metropolitan Police
Elianne Andam, 15, is being remembered after she was fatally stabbed in Croydon, London, while on her way to school Sept. 27.
Metropolitan Police arrived at the scene on Wellesley Road at 8:30 a.m., just two minutes after a stabbing was reported, according to an updated statement shared Sept. 29. The authorities noted that medical attention was provided, but the 15-year-old tragically died on the scene.
The police believe the late British teenager was murdered by a 17-year-old male that she knew. The suspect was arrested an hour and 15 minutes after the incident, and police recovered the alleged murder weapon the following day.
The suspect sat for a hearing at Croydon Magistrates’ Court and was charged with murder and possession of points and blades (a knife).
The BBC alleged that the knife used to murder Elianne was “a foot-long.” The precious teen had reportedly just stepped off a double-decker bus with her friends when the stabbing occurred.
The New York Post claimed the suspect was an ex-boyfriend of one of the girls Elianne was with when she got off the bus. The 17-year-old allegedly stabbed the victim after she got between the male and his ex-girlfriend. The suspect was reportedly aggravated after he tried to give his ex a bouquet of flowers on the bus, and she rejected him.
The 17-year-old’s next court date is Oct. 3.
Elianne was a student at Old Palace of John Whitgift School and an aspiring lawyer. She was also a daughter, sister and friend who was passionate about her faith, according to her loved ones.
In a statement shared by the BBC, the 15-year-old’s family lamented her death as the robbing of her bright future.
“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.”
At a vigil held Sept. 28 at the crime scene, the Bishop of Croydon, Dr. Rosemarie Mallett, read a statement from the teen’s family that additionally described her as “intelligent, thoughtful and kind.”
TikTok users have been posting tributes in the wake of Elianne’s passing. The posts include personal photos and messages that fondly show the teen’s special place in people’s lives. Two posts suggested that there’s more to the circumstances surrounding the teen’s death that haven’t been more publicly revealed.
We wish Elianne’s family immense healing during this harrowing and heartbreaking time.
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