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Boy, 15, convicted of sexual assaults and knife attacks on teenage girls on their way to school

A 15-year-old boy has been convicted at Croydon Crown Court of a series of knife and sex attacks. (Getty)
A 15-year-old boy has been convicted at Croydon Crown Court of a series of knife and sex attacks. (Getty)

A 15-year-old boy has been convicted of carrying out a number of sexual assaults and knife attacks on teenage girls as they walked to school.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of grievous bodily harm, four charges of sexual assault, one charge of assault by penetration and one charge of common assault.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted the offences at Croydon Crown Court on Monday. He was remanded in custody until 7 June, when he will be sentenced.

One girl was stabbed in the leg and another was slashed on the arm in the attacks, the court heard.

The unprovoked attacks took place in Croydon, south London, between November 2019 and October 2020.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to reports of an injured 15-year-old girl in Moffat Road, Croydon, at 8.50am on 4 November 2020.

She had been approached by a stranger and stabbed in the leg, police said, and was taken to hospital where her condition was confirmed as not life threatening.

Two days later, at 8.23am on 6 November, police were called to reports of an injured girl on St Paul’s Road in Croydon. The 15-year-old girl had been approached by a stranger and stabbed in the arm.

She was treated at the scene and taken to hospital where her condition was deemed non life threatening.

Police said the victims went to different schools and it is not thought they were known to each other.

A police investigation was launched and the offences were linked to four other incidents between November 2012 and October 2020 where teenage girls were approached on their way to school and assaulted or sexually assaulted.

The boy was arrested at his home in Thornton Heath on 8 November.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Barrett, who led the investigation, said: “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.”

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