When Will Violence Against Our Girls End?
Elianne Andam, a 15-year-old Londoner, was stabbed to death on her way to school. She was trying to protect a friend.
Elianne Andam, a 15-year-old Londoner, was stabbed to death on her way to school Wednesday morning, according to reports.
Andam had just gotten off of a bus as part of her commute to school when she was stabbed in the neck with a footlong knife. She was allegedly killed by a 17-year-old boy who Elianne and her friends knew. The boy, whose name has not been released, was trying to give flowers to an ex-girlfriend (Andam’s friend), and the girl rejected them. He pulled out the knife and Andam tried to shield her friend from the attack.
The 15-year-old died on the scene. The 17-year-old suspect was captured an hour later and brought into police custody for questioning.
Following Andam’s death, her family released two statements: one about Andam’s exemplary character and the other serving as a request for privacy as they grieve.
The first statement read, in part: “Elianne was the light of our lives. She was bright and funny, with many friends who all adored her. 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.”
The second statement re-emphasized Andam’s wonderful qualities in life, calling her intelligent, thoughtful, and kind.
“We as a family are struggling to comprehend this painful tragedy that has happened to our beautiful daughter and beloved sister Elianne,” the family shared. “Our hearts are broken. And we are overwhelmed by sorrow and grief. Our faith in the Lord is strengthening us. … Elianne was a beautiful person inside and out who loved Jesus. She was intelligent, thoughtful, kind and had a bright future ahead of her. It is our request that you keep our cherished daughter Elianne and our family in your thoughts and prayers.”
According to Mail Online, Andam’s family had saved to send her to private school so she could have a better chance at achieving her dream career of becoming an attorney.
Although this murder happened in England, the news of it has reverberated internationally—not only for the gruesome and shocking nature of the violence, but also because it’s an example of the violence and death that frequently emerges from misogyny. For many Black women, Elianne’s murder is an example of the tragedy of Black girls and women being able to rely only on each other for protection from the harm of men.
For some, it’s a reminder of the violent attack of a Black American woman, Rho Bashe, who, in September, shared a video of the aftermath of what she described as being attacked in the face with a brick by a man whose advances she declined. She also claimed that several bystanders did nothing to deescalate the situation on her behalf or intervene in any way. Bashe was called a liar, blamed for the attack, and harassed online.
It’s also a reminder of the need for holistic deterrents to violent crime, especially for young people whose lives are really just beginning. As documented by BBC, Andam is the 15th teenager to have been killed in London this year, with 13 of those homicides being stabbings and two being from gunshot wounds.
English actor Idris Elba paid tribute to the teen with an Instagram post where he wrote: “Sending my condolences to the family of Elianne Andam at this very sad time. It is a shame our country still mourns the deaths of children at the hands of knives. We NEED to enforce tougher deterrents and punishments to carrying these weapons.”
The investigation into Elianne's murder is ongoing. No charges have been filed.
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