Teenager faces life imprisonment for raping and murdering schoolgirl in park

A teenage boy who raped and murdered 14-year-old Viktorija Sokolova before dumping her body on a park bench is due to be sentenced today.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, was unanimously convicted of murdering the schoolgirl by a jury in December last year.

Detectives believe the boy used a hammer, which has never been found, to launch a “ferocious and sustained” attack on his victim, who suffered a fractured skull and spine.

The Lithuanian-born youngster was lured to Wolverhampton’s West Park late on April 11 last year after being contacted by her killer on Facebook Messenger.

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Following the killing, the youth was caught on CCTV as he attempted to cover up the offence by hiding clothing, having deleted Facebook messages and hurled his victim’s phone towards a lake.

The defendant, who was cleared of sexual penetration of a corpse, faces an automatic life sentence at Wolverhampton Crown Court today.