Teen arrested over attack on pregnant Malorie Bantala

A third person has been arrested in connection with an attack on a heavily pregnant woman in south London that killed her unborn child. Malorie Bantala, 21, was 32 weeks pregnant when she was attacked in Peckham on 15 June by two men wearing motorcycle helmets.

The assault happened metres from the door of the block of flats where she lived with her mother. Witnesses said she was knocked to the ground, jumped on and kicked in the stomach by the attackers, who fled on foot before police arrived.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday (1 October) on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm and child destruction. He was questioned at a London police station before being released on bail, the Metropolitan Police said.

Kevin Wilson, 22, who Bantala claims is the father's child, and a 17-year-old boy have previously appeared at the Old Bailey, charged with causing grievous bodily harm and child destruction. Following Wilson's arrest, police offered a £20,000 award for information leading to the arrest of the second attacker.

Following the attack, the London Ambulance Service was forced to apologise after it emerged that police had to take Bantala to hospital themselves after waiting for an ambulance for an hour which failed to arrive. Bantala spent several days in a critical condition in hospital following the attacks, she was said to be devastated by the loss of her child.

Wilson, from Bermondsey in south east London, and the 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been remanded in custody ahead of a trial date provisionally set for November 30.