A TEENAGE BOY has been convicted after a series of incidents in the Croydon area of London in which he attacked girls as they were walking to school.
The 15-year-old appeared at Croydon Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault, one count of “assault by penetration”, grievous bodily harm and one charge of common assault. A charge of robbery was left to lie on file.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Barrett who led the investigation thanked the victims for their help in catching the attacker.
“These incidents caused considerable concern to the local community – all the victims were teenage girls, and apparently chosen at random.
“They were making their way to school when they were subjected to needless and completely unprovoked attacks. I am grateful to all of them for their assistance to our investigation,” she said.
In a statement London’s Metropolitan Police described the attacks which happened in early November.
“At 08.50hrs on 4 November 2020 police were called to reports of an injured girl in Moffat Road, Croydon. A 15-year-old girl had been approached by a stranger and stabbed in the leg. The victim was taken to hospital where her condition was confirmed as not life threatening,” the statement revealed.
“Two days later, at 08:23hrs on Friday, 6 November, police were called to St Paul’s Road, Croydon to reports of an injured girl. Officers and London Ambulance Service attended.
“A 15-year-old girl had been approached by a stranger and stabbed in the arm. She was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital where her condition was deemed not life threatening.
“The victims went to separate schools and it is not thought they were known to each other.”
Police officers from the South Area Command Unit launched an investigation. The offences were linked to four other incidents from November 2019 to October 2020 where teenage girls were approached as they were walking to school and sexually assaulted or assaulted.
The boy was arrested at his residential address in Thornton Heath in the early hours of 8 November.
During the court hearing on Monday he was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 7 June.
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