Six teenage girls have admitted their involvement in an attack on an Egyptian engineering student in Nottingham last year which left her in a coma.
Mariam Moustafa, 18, suffered a stroke 10 hours after the attack on 20 February 2018 and died nearly a month later.
Six teenage girls had been charged with the offence of affray but three had denied the charge last October and were due to stand trial last week.
But Mariah Fraser, 19, Britania Hunter, 18, and a 16-year-old girl, admitted their part in the attack at a hearing before Judge Gregory Dickinson QC on Tuesday 16 April.
Three other teenage girls, one aged 18 and two aged 17 had admitted to affray at Nottingham Youth Court last year. The case can now be reported after press restrictions were lifted by District Judge Timothy Spruce yesterday.
Mariam’s father said the authorities showed him “no respect” by not informing him of the recent court hearing in which three girls admitted to attacking his daughter.
Mohamed Moustafa, 51, told the Independent: “We were not informed or advised in any way, shape, or form that there was a hearing on that day.
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“As a family we are entitled to know everything regarding our daughter’s case beforehand and not after … This very simple right was taken from us.
“This is not the first mistake. A lot of mistakes happened with Mariam from the very first day and now it is just normal. Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes with Mariam. I believe it is not fair at all – because it is my daughter.”
Mariam was repeatedly punched during a confrontation with a group of women near a bus stop in Parliament Street, Nottingham, around 8pm on the night of the attack.
She got on a bus at the scene near the Victoria Centre shopping but was followed by the same group, who were threatening and abusive towards her.
She was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre in the city and then transferred to Nottingham City Hospital where she was treated until her death.
After the final guilty pleas were entered, Mariam’s family expressed their anger at the level of charges the six defendants faced.
He said: “We are very disappointed with the charges pressed against the defendants. It was not and is not what we expected. It’s unfair and unjust to charge those whom killed or, at least by their actions, led to [Mariam’s] death with such minor offences.
“It is very weak. It is not fair at all. From the first day I was very upset about the charge. Affray – it’s nothing.”
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said: “We have worked closely with the police to make sure Mr Moustafa has been kept updated throughout this process and are deeply sorry this didn’t happen on this particular occasion. We have contacted him to offer a full explanation.
“We were preparing for trial in this case, two of the three guilty pleas were unexpected and we informed the family immediately. We have also met with Mr Moustafa to explain the charge of affray, the CPS can only charge if the evidential stage of our tests for prosecution are met. Our thoughts remain with her family.”
The six teenagers will be sentenced on a date which is yet to be fixed.
