November 11th 2023.
Today, family and friends of 15-year-old Elianne Andam gathered to say their final goodbyes at a funeral service held at the New Life Christian Centre in Croydon, south London.
Elianne tragically lost her life on September 27th, after being stabbed on her way to school. Her aunts wanted her funeral to be a celebration of her life, as she “liked to bring joy to people’s lives”.
The coffin was brought to the service in a white carriage pulled by four white horses with pink plumes, while the pallbearers wore dark suits with white shirts and pink ties.
Ruby Paintsil, one of Elianne’s aunts, explained that her niece was a passionate defender of the voiceless. She said: “She doesn’t like injustice; she likes justice for people. Every time she’d get in trouble, it was fighting for someone else.”
Elianne’s other aunt, Regina Boafo Boafo, added: “It will be nice to celebrate it and for us, she will forever remain in our hearts - she can never be gone.”
Elianne’s mother, Dorcas Andam, is struggling to comprehend the tragedy that has befallen her daughter. Ruby said: “She is broken a lot… we have to keep comforting her. She hasn’t been herself, every day broken into pieces.”
The family previously said in a statement: “We as a family are struggling to comprehend this painful tragedy that has happened to our beautiful daughter and beloved sister Elianne. Our hearts are broken. Elianne was a beautiful person inside and out who loved Jesus. She was intelligent, thoughtful, kind and had a bright future ahead.”
A candle-lit vigil attended by the rapper Stormzy was held outside the Whitgift shopping centre a week after Elianne’s death. A post-mortem showed she had suffered multiple stab wounds, and a 17-year-old boy has been charged with her murder and will face trial on April 29.
Today, Elianne’s family and friends said goodbye to her in a celebration of her life, remembering her for her passion and joy she brought to those around her.
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