London, England — Two teenagers have confessed to the murder of a 14-year-old boy who was brutally attacked with machetes while riding a bus in southeast London earlier this year. Kelyan Bokassa was fatally stabbed 27 times on January 7 while traveling home on a route 472 bus in Woolwich.
The two boys, both aged 16 and not publicly identified due to their age, appeared at the Old Bailey for the proceedings. In addition to their murder plea, the teenagers admitted to carrying bladed weapons. Both have prior convictions, including one for possessing a knife in a public place, and one was under a referral order at the time of the attack.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC has called for reports ahead of the upcoming sentencing, scheduled for July 25. Emergency services arrived on the scene near Woolwich Church Street at approximately 2:30 PM. Despite immediate medical attention, Kelyan succumbed to his injuries shortly after, having suffered a severed femoral artery.
Following the attack, Scotland Yard released CCTV footage of two youths as part of their effort to gather public information on the case. As the guilty pleas were entered in court, emotions ran high, with Kelyan’s mother heard weeping and other family members visibly distressed nearby.
During an earlier court appearance, prosecutor Tom Little KC described the attack as premeditated. Kelyan was seated at the back of the bus when the two attackers, armed with machetes, approached him. Their actions were deliberate, and the prosecutor emphasized that this was not a spontaneous act of violence but rather a targeted attack.
One of the machetes used in the attack was ultimately discarded into the River Thames but was later recovered by authorities. Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee, who led the investigation for the Metropolitan Police, extended her sympathies to Kelyan’s family, acknowledging the devastating impact of the attack on his friends and the broader community.
Lee stated, “This brutal and senseless attack has deeply affected everyone involved in the case and has left a lasting mark on the community.” While the guilty pleas brought a measure of closure, she noted that Kelyan’s family continues to grapple with the tragedy of losing their son.
At the forthcoming hearing, Judge Lucraft is expected to consider lifting the reporting restrictions that currently shield the defendants’ identities, a move that could allow for greater public awareness of their involvement in the case. Kelyan Bokassa became the first teenager to lose his life to knife crime in London in 2025, underscoring the ongoing concern regarding youth violence in the city.