![](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/29\/07\/75966389-12574221-image-a-6_1695969932717.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA 17-year-old boy will appear in court today charged with the murder of 15-year-old Elianne Andam in South London.<\/p>\n
The suspect, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court this morning.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A 17-year-old boy will appear in court today charged with the murder of 15-year-old Elianne Andam in South London\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elianne’s heartbroken mother broke down in tears yesterday as she laid flowers at the spot where her daughter died.<\/p>\n
Dorcas Andam was consoled by husband Michael and dozens of relatives as they paid their respects to aspiring lawyer Elianne, 15.<\/p>\n
It is claimed the keen gymnast and cheerleader died as she stepped in to defend her friend who was attacked as she got off a bus in Croydon, south London, at 8.30am on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Elianne was on her way to classes at Old Palace of John Whitgift private school when she was killed \u2013 leaving her loved ones devastated.<\/p>\n
Yesterday evening around 30 relatives held a vigil at the city centre bus stop where she died, laying flowers as they consoled one another.<\/p>\n
Bishop of Croydon, Rosemarie Mallett, read a powerful family statement alongside Elianne\u2019s aunt Marian.<\/p>\n
\u2018We, as a family are struggling to comprehend this painful tragedy that has happened to our beautiful daughter and beloved sister Elianne,\u2019 she said. \u2018Our hearts are broken. We are overwhelmed by sorrow and grief but our faith in the Lord is strengthening us.\u2019<\/p>\n
The statement described Elianne as \u2018a beautiful person inside and out\u2019 who was \u2018intelligent, thoughtful, kind and had a bright future ahead of her\u2019.<\/p>\n
Hours earlier they had told how their \u2018lives have fallen apart\u2019 while Elianne\u2019s dreams of becoming a lawyer \u2018have now been shattered\u2019. The GCSE student\u2019s senseless stabbing has shocked the nation with Rishi Sunak yesterday saying he was appalled. Elianne has a six-year-old brother who she helped look after. Family friend Adama Dumbuya, 30, said: \u2018I just can\u2019t imagine what he is going to be like. She had a little brother. I know they were so close. She always looked after him. He is going to be so heartbroken.\u2019<\/p>\n
Witnesses said Elianne was killed after intervening in a row between a friend and a boy as they got off the number 60 bus.<\/p>\n
The boy is said to have tried to offer the other girl flowers and a love letter to get back together with her but was rejected.<\/p>\n
Elianne was stabbed in the neck with a \u2018sword-like\u2019 zombie knife as she tried to stand between them.<\/p>\n
A bus driver tried to revive her and emergency services dashed to the scene but could not save Elianne. Police arrested a 17-year-old boy at New Addington tram station an hour later. He was in custody last night. Friends paid tribute to the victim last night, with one writing: \u2018Elianne died saving her friend. She died for the people she loved the most.<\/p>\n
\u2018She was there for her friends and family in a second, she made people laugh with her annoying jokes and was a right hand to the people she loved the most.\u2019<\/p>\n
Another wrote: \u2018Elianne is my sister, no words could even describe the person she was. People who met her can\u2019t even describe her to you because she was just perfect.\u2019<\/p>\n
The senseless killing has reignited anger over the knife crime epidemic sweeping London with Croydon among the worst areas in the capital. Mr Sunak called for longer sentences for \u2018the most heinous crimes\u2019.<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister told the BBC: \u2018It just illustrates the importance of clamping down on knife crime. The idea that a girl not much older than my own kids would have their life just cruelly ended in that way is absolutely shocking.\u2019<\/p>\n
Transport minister Richard Holden said London mayor Sadiq Khan must focus on knife crime.<\/p>\n
But Mr Khan hit back, accusing the Tories of using the alleged murder \u2018as a political football\u2019.<\/p>\n
Elianne\u2019s friends were said to be sobbing and \u2018so emotional\u2019 at her school yesterday, according to Donna Murray-Turner, chairman of the local safer neighbourhood board. She said: \u2018Staff, teachers, talked about when Elianne entered a room you knew she was there. And her friends, as you can imagine, were sobbing. They were so emotional.\u2019<\/p>\n
Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Woodsford, who is leading the investigation, said: \u2018My thoughts and the thoughts of my team are with Elianne\u2019s family.\u2019 She said officers were making good progress and were confident the attack happened near the bus stop rather than on the bus. A post mortem was conducted yesterday.<\/p>\n