A 17-year-old boy has admitted killing a schoolgirl who was stabbed at a bus stop in south London.
Elianne Andam, 15, was attacked on Wellesley Road, Croydon, in September as she made her way to school, the Old Bailey heard.
The teenage boy, name withheld, pleaded guilty to her manslaughter but denied murder.
The plea was not accepted by prosecutors and a trial is set to take place in November at the same court.
The boy also denied possessing a blade in a public place. Elianne had met two female friends before she was stabbed, the court heard.
It is alleged her attacker, wearing a mask and gloves, removed a large knife from his waistband and stabbed Elianne repeatedly, the hearing was told.
As he left the scene, others attempted to administer first aid but she could not be saved. The defendant was arrested in New Addington later that morning, the court was told.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC previously said: “It was, the prosecution allege, a brutal attack.”
In a eulogy at her funeral, read by her aunt Sylvia, Elianne was described as a “remarkable and multifaceted individual” with an “infectious enthusiasm for all things good and beautiful”.
She spoke of the 15-year-old’s love for music, friends, fashion, gymnastics, drawing, cooking and singing, adding that she had a “charismatic and vivacious” personality.
“As we say goodbye to Elianne, we take comfort in the knowledge that she is at peace, with her faith realised,” she said.
“Her memory will forever be cherished in our hearts. We look forward to the day when we will meet again in eternity,” she said, before adding: “Rest in peace, rest in power.”
-BBC-
pknovy