The mother of Arsema Dawit expressed her grief on the steps of the flats where her 15-year-old daughter was stabbed to death, saying that police had not protected her.

Tsehainesh Medhani looked pale and exhausted and leaned heavily on a female relative as the statement was read out by the family's solicitor. She wore a black scarf covering her hair and shook her head from side to side.

"I'm absolutely devastated and cannot believe what has happened to my daughter," said Mrs Medhani's statement.

"I came to this country from Eritrea to live in safety. When my daughter was threatened I went to the police seeking protection. Sadly, that did not happen.

"I have lost a precious, beautiful and much-loved daughter who was kind, generous and loving.

"I hope no other family has to go through the anguish we have gone through. I feel as though a light has gone out of my life."

Arsema was stabbed to death on Monday afternoon, in the lift of the Matheson Lang Gardens block of flats where the family live in a three-bedroomed flat, about 200 yards from Waterloo station in South London.

The attack left her with ten stab wounds and was so violent that the knife handle broke off leaving the blade in her body.

In the weeks before her death Arsema and her mother, who regularly attended an Eritrean Orthodox church in Camberwell, South London, had complained to police that she was being stalked by another churchgoer, who they said had assaulted her and made death threats to her while declaring his love.

The Metropolitan Police and the Independent Police Complaints Commission are both investigating how well officers responded, after the Met acknowledged that officers had taken 12 days to get back in touch.

Mrs Medhani came to Britain in 2003, seeking political asylum from Eritrea. Members of the family said that she had been persecuted because of her ethnicity.

Mrs Medhani was flanked by her surviving daughter, Feruz Dawit, and her brother, Beyene Tsegani. Almaz Mehdani, Arsema's aunt, who was also present, collapsed at the end of the press conference and had to be helped away.

Dozens of members of the Eritrean exile community in London have gathered at the family's home since the murder.

A man was last night charged with Arsema's murder. Thomas Nugusse, 21, of Ilford in Essex, was remanded in custody until August 21 when he appeared before magistrates in Camberwell Green. His next court appearance will be at the Old Bailey.

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