A teenage schoolgirl has been stabbed on a bus this morning.

[Sparklingbrook]

Here. She didn't survive. I am just so shocked. How can you be killed on the way to school?

[SnotMeReally]

Busses need a secure system for young people when they know these tragedies are likely to occur

This is of course a tragedy, same bus route I travelled to school on years ago. Very sad, shocking etc. BUT, what on earth do you mean by the above comment?? - of all the MILLIONS of bus journeys that are made every day, many by unaccompanied school children and most of them in total safety for the whole of their school careers, this is one of a tiny, miniscule number of incidents.

Nothing at all the bus company could do to predict or prevent this attack. Most buses have CCTV, but thats more to spy on school kids misdemeanours ratehr than for their safety.

Either it was someone known to her, or it was a total random attack - either of which could have happened any place any time, nothing to do with the bus.

[Owllady]

Many children have to catch the bus to school though. It's not just a Birmingham thing. It was a random attack, it could have happened anywhere and to anyone

That poor poor girl and her family :(:(:(:(

[SnotMeReally]

Don't be daft HB, thousands and thousands of kids travel by bus in our towns & cities every single day - if anything they are SAFER than those on rural routes, because they are travelling in crowds.

How long would it take to do the journey if all those parents suddenly decided to jump in their cars??

And the accident stats are MUCH worse for car travel than for buses, you know.

[Rosa]

What is the world coming to? Poor girl and poor family.

[Frogman]

MariscallRoad Tragedy sad. Busses need a secure system for young people when they know these tragedies are likely to occur.

I'm finding it hard to make a sensible reply to such an immature comment: so I won't.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

It's particularly shocking as they are saying she had no known connection to her alleged attacker. If this was a completely random act of a stranger it makes it even more disturbing and upsetting than it already is. Poor kid.

[Sparklingbrook]

The pictures are coming out already. A beautiful teenage girl.

[JillJ72]

Absolutely shocking, terrible. Feel so much for her parents. I hope they get the person that did this and justice is delivered. Terrible.

[BackforGood]

HillBilly What a ridiculous thing to say

[Sparklingbrook]

It is in the Daily Fail that she tweeted a while ago about someone being weird on the bus.

[creighton]

it was a random attack? i assumed that it would have been someone she knew

[scaevola]

The police haven't really said if it is a random attack (the spokesman described it as 'sporadic' but I think he may have misspoken), and are saying they have not yet established a motive. Nor have they confirmed either way if the attacker knew the poor girl.

[Sparklingbrook]

Well she sent a tweet from the bus a month ago saying a man was acting strangely, and assuming she gets the same bus to school each day it's possible he was that man.

[expatinscotland]

This is so awful! What a fucked up world this is.

[cherrycherry41]

I used to get the same bus frequently when i was a teenager. Scary stuff

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Birmingham schoolchildren often don't have any choice other than to go to school in the train or bus. There is a grammar school system and also boys and girls schools. You can't just send your child to the local school as that school may not be available to you

The area where it happened is not a rough area. It is a very very tragic occurrence but we can't wrap children in cotton wool. It could just as easily have happened to a mum with her children.

I used to travel daily to Bingham and despite having a car went on the train. It's just what you did.

[Sparklingbrook]

That's very true Pictures.

[creighton]

you can't legislate for meeting the 'wrong person' in public. hasn't a woman in london recently been found guilty of stabbing to death another woman? the killer had killed before and is clearly mentally ill.

[tiredemma]

Hillbilly. Going by your logic no one would ever leave the house.

[Katryn]

I saw this on the news and cried about it, just so awful. My DH immediately said our DS was not to go on the public bus to the school bus, not that he does that much anyway.

[chocolatespiders]

The man arrested is being held in a secure mental health unit.
Following assessment from mental health experts. So horrible and sad.

[tiredemma]

Awful.