‘Our hearts are broken by her senseless death’ – Family of 15-year-old Elianne Andam stabbed to death on her way to school say
The family of the 15-year-old girl stabbed to death as she made her way to school today paid tribute to the ‘the light of our lives’ as they said their ‘hearts were broken’ by her ‘senseless’ death.
Elianne Andam, a pupil at the Old Palace of John Whitgift private school, was attacked at 8.30am yesterday as she got off the bus in Croydon when she stepped in to protect a friend.
Today her devastated family revealed her dream was to be a lawyer before she was robbed of a ‘great future’ by her killer.
A tragic statement issued by the family described their ‘beautiful’ child Elianne as the ‘light of our lives’.
‘She was bright and funny, with many friends who all adored her,’ it said. ‘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.’
Within 75 minutes of the incident, a 17-year-old boy was arrested in New Addington on suspicion of murder. A 12-hour extension to his custody time limit was granted this morning and he remains in custody at a south London police station.
Elianne’s aunt told MailOnline of their grief today as it emerged that Elianne’s mother is an NHS children’s nurse who was paying for her daughter to go to a top school for a better life.
An aunt, who only gave her name as Marian, said: ‘You just can’t comprehend the heartbreak of the last 24 hours, how Elianne went to school and never came home’.
A row spilt out of the number 60 bus outside the Whitgift Shopping Centre close to East Croydon station on Wednesday morning.
A teenage boy dressed in black stabbed the schoolgirl in the neck and chest with a ‘sword-like’ zombie knife when she stood in his way after her friend rejected his flowers and love letter before he was arrested on a tram an hour later.
Speaking at Elianne’s mother’s home in Croydon, her aunt said: ‘She wanted to be a lawyer, she went to private school paid for by my sister and had a great future ahead of her. She was a lovely girl, she loved doing her hair, had beautiful natural hair, and she really loved gymnastics.
‘We’re a big family and we are all here for our sister, to support her. We’re a big family this has left us absolutely devastated. My sister is not feeling good, this only happened yesterday. It hasn’t sunk in yet, it’s a tragedy.’
A bus driver and passers-by battled to save her. But Elianne died on the pavement just minutes after the attack – less than a mile from her £20,000-a-year elite independent school.
James Watkins, of Croydon crime prevention group Mainzworld, said the teenager’s family rushed to the scene but she had already died. ‘They were unable to say goodbye,’ he said.
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