An “evil” teenager has been locked up for life for stabbing 15-year-old Elianne Andam to death in a row over a teddy bear.
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00:00But there is no justice that can truly bring us peace.
00:03No sentence will ever bring back our beloved Eliane, our beautiful, kind and faith-filled
00:08daughter, sister, cousin and friend as well.
00:12She was a light in all our lives, full of love for her family, her friends and her God.
00:18While we are grateful that the legal system has done what it can, the truth is that no
00:21amount of time in prison will ease our grief or fill the void that's left by her presence.
00:28Our only hope now is that the real change comes from this tragedy.
00:31Naive crime is robbing too many lives.
00:34We do not want another family to stand where we are today, mourning a life taken too soon.
00:39Something must be done.
00:40We would like to thank the emergency services and the police for their dedication in seeking
00:45justice for Eliane.
00:47We are also deeply grateful to the Creighton community for all the love and support, the
00:50compassion they have shown us in the darkest hours.
00:53Eliane deserved a long and beautiful life.
00:56Though she is gone, we will carry her in our hearts forever and we will continue to speak
01:00her name.
01:02I'm the family pastor, I'm going to issue another statement on behalf of the wider family.
01:09Today our family stands devastated and heartbroken, not only by the tragic and senseless murder
01:14of our beloved daughter Eliane Andam, but while the court has delivered its judgment,
01:19justice has not been served.
01:21The judicial system has failed to reflect the sheer brutality of the crime nor the unimaginable
01:26suffering our daughter endured at the hands of a murderer.
01:30It doesn't reflect the gravity of her loss.
01:33Our daughter Eliane Andam, a vibrant, bright and loving innocent 15-year-old with her entire
01:38future ahead of her until it was stolen in the most horrific way, brutally killed in
01:44broad daylight by a 17-year-old who showed no mercy, an act of unimaginable violence
01:49that has shattered our lives forever.
01:51The details of her murder are too gruesome to describe.
01:55Overhauling the broken judicial system, establishing effective deterrence, the fact that this crime
02:01was committed by a minor has unfortunately resulted in a sentence that we believe falls
02:06woefully short of true justice.
02:08Despite the horror of the crime, the premeditated nature of the attack, the brutality of her
02:13death and the permanent void it has left in our hearts, the legal system's response has
02:17left us feeling abandoned and unheard.
02:20While we acknowledge the need for rehabilitation in juvenile justice, we cannot accept that
02:24such lenient sentences are appropriate for violent, calculated crimes like this.
02:30The current legal framework does not deter young individuals from committing violent
02:34crimes.
02:35It does not provide sufficient accountability for those who commit the most heinous acts.
02:40It is clear that the current laws are failing, failing to protect victims, failing to hold
02:45offenders truly accountable and failing to deter other young individuals from committing
02:50similar atrocities.
02:52The message being sent is deeply concerning that minors can commit unthinkable crimes
02:56and still evade the full consequences of their actions.