First picture of girl stabbed to death on her way to school as family

A teenage girl stabbed to death while making her way to a south London school has been pictured for the first time.

Named locally as GCSE student Eliyanna, the 15-year-old had been making her way to Old Palace of John Whitgift School in Croydon when she was attacked and killed on Wednesday morning.

Eliyanna was reportedly stabbed in the neck after stepping in to “protect her friend” who it is claimed had rejected flowers from an ex-boyfriend.

Her devastated family broke their silence today revealing how their lives have been plunged into darkness following the loss of the beloved schoolgirl.

“You just can’t comprehend the heartbreak of the last 24-hours, how Eliyanna went to school and never came home,’ Eliyanna’s aunt Marian told MailOnline.

“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.”

Emergency services were called to Wellesley Road, near the Whitgift shopping centre, at around 8.30am after receiving reports that the schoolgirl, believed to be of Nigerian descent and from a devout Christian family, had been stabbed.

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She was initially helped by a bus driver and a passer-by until the arrival of paramedics, but despite efforts to save her she was pronounced dead 40 minutes later.

A boy who is believed to have known the victim was arrested a short while later in the Croydon area, the Met Police confirmed.

Witnesses reported that paramedics battled to save her life, while two other schoolgirls, believed to be her friends, attempted to get through the police barriers.

Speaking to the Independent, Katia Brito, 22, said: “I arrived at the scene at 9.02am and the two buses had stopped. The tent was up and emergency services were trying to keep her alive. Kids were running under the underpass.”

Anthony King, chairman of My Ends – a project helping combat youth violence in Croydon, was with the girl’s family after the incident and said they were “heartbroken”.

He added: “She had a bright future ahead of her. She was in her GCSE year.”

Mr King described the girl as an “absolutely incredible young lady” and told of how others said she was “jovial, very comedic”.

On Thursday morning, pastor Lorraine Jones told Sky News that the weapon reportedly used to slash her neck reminded her of the blade that took the life of her own son.

“You can’t imagine the scale of fear and anxiety in our young girls,” she told Kay Burley. “This will continue until we support the grassroots. I lost my son. I know what [her mother] is going through. I pray she can survive this and she can. I know the father is going through pain too.”

She urged the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan for additional funding for local anti-crime groups.

A number of police vehicles have cordoned off the Route 60 bus, which had been heading towards Streatham Station, while forensic officers continue to examine the scene.

Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain said: “Our immediate thoughts are with this young girl’s family who are facing the most tragic of news. Our officers are with the girl’s family to support them.

“I am in contact with the local community, who are clearly as concerned as we are about this tragic incident. I shall continue to update them throughout the day.”

Anyone who witnessed the attack or has information that can help officers is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference CAD 1601/27Sep. To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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