Hundreds of people gathered in south London for a candlelit vigil close to where a 15-year-old schoolgirl was stabbed to death.
Elianne Andam died after being stabbed during the morning rush hour at a bus stop outside Whitgift shopping centre on Wellesley Road in Croydon on 27 September.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with the teenager’s murder.
Rev Denzil Larbi, Elianne’s cousin, led people gathered outside the shopping centre and bus stop in prayer on Wednesday, one week after the killing.
He spoke in front of a makeshift shrine to Elianne, featuring balloons and flowers.
Speaking to the crowd in front of a painting of Elianne, the family said they were “amazed and touched” by the number of people who had come out to celebrate Elianne’s life, and they thanked the first responders and emergency services.
A friend of the family, Gloria Twumasi Danquah, said she was still devastated at Elianne’s death. “It’s such a terrible tragedy, she was such a beautiful girl,” she said.
Danquah said she hoped Elianne’s death would act as a wake-up call for young people, showing them that actions can have devastating consequences.
“I hope young people will see that what you do actually has an impact on your future as a person and also those around you.
“You can’t not be mindful of what you do and you have to have some control over the way you behave as an individual.”
Elianne’s father, Michael Andam, is a writer of Christian teachings, while her mother, Dorcas Andam, works as an NHS specialist nurse safeguarding children. Both are of Ghanaian heritage and are active in the Christian community. In a statement after their daughter’s death, they described her as the “light of our lives”.
Shortly after the prayers, there was a two-minute silence. After that, a silver heart-shaped balloon was released into the air. Family members and people in the crowd hugged and embraced one another for support.
The rapper Stormzy, real name Michael Omari Owuo Jr, was among the mourners, and stood silently beside her family as they led mourners in prayer. Stormzy, who was born in Croydon, is also of Ghanaian descent.
Rev Paul Akinola, from St George’s Church in Southall, also led the crowd in prayer and spoke about how mature and ambitious Elianne was. The last time he saw her, they had been talking about what A-Levels she was going to choose, with the view to pursuing a career in law.
“When we found out, we just went into shock mode. Couldn’t cry, just going into this autopilot,” he said.
“The last time I saw her was in April and she has grown up and matured so much since then.
“She was going to read law, so I said: ‘OK, you need to select your subjects carefully.’ I said: ‘Do you read?’ and she said: ‘Yes, I love to read, uncle.’
“I said: ‘I know you have the capacity because you are very compassionate, intelligent and focused,’” he said.
“She combines beauty with intelligence. She combines all that with grace and humility. Sadly, people don’t understand what happened … she was defending a friend.”
Akinola said he hoped Elianne’s death would lead to more conversations about knife crime and how to tackle it within the police force, but also with parents and their children at home.
“Some of these young people, they don’t know what they’re doing. Life is not cheap,” he said.
“We want people to remember Elianne as the beautiful, wonderful girl that loves Jesus with a very focused heart.”
