Teens in court over Victoria station murder

LONDON – Twelve teenagers were due in court yesterday charged with the murder of a 15-year-old boy who was stabbed several times in front of rush-hour commuters at London’s Victoria station.

Police said the victim, named as Sofyen Belamouadden from west London, may have been killed in a pre-planned fight at the busy central London station on March 25.The boy was knifed repeatedly in the chest and later died in hospital, police said.A post-mortem examination over the weekend said Belamouadden died as a result of stab wounds.The 12 boys charged with the killing are all 16 to 17 years of age and were due to appear at West London Youth Court.Seven other teenagers who had been detained in connection with the incident, all aged between 15 and 17, have been released on bail.And in a new development, a teenage girl and three teenage boys were arrested yesterday, police said.’I believe this was a pre-planned fight; a number of individuals travelled by various bus routes to Victoria carrying weapons, however I retain an open mind regarding the motive at this stage,’ said Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane from the Metropolitan Police Service on Saturday.A Scotland Yard spokesman said ‘a number’ of weapons had been recovered from the scene, including two knives. – Nampa-AFP