A teenage boy has pleaded guilty to attacking and sexually assaulting two schoolgirls in Croydon last year.

The 15-year-old appeared at Croydon Crown Court yesterday (Monday, April 12) where he pleaded guilty to two counts of Grievous Bodily Harm.

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault, one count of assault by penetration, and one charge of common assault.

The attacks both targeted 15-year-old school girls in Croydon and occurred within days of each other in November last year.

The first happened on Moffat Road in Croydon on November 4, around 8.50am.

The perpetrator approached the girl and stabbed her in the leg. She was taken to hospital.

Just two days later, on November 6 at around 8.23am on St Paul's Road, the second attack happened.

He approached a 15-year-old school girl and stabbed her in the arm.

Similarly, she was treated at the scene and then taken to hospital.

In response, Met Police officers from the South Area Command Unit launched an investigation, and discovered they were linked to four other incidents between November 2019 to October 2020, where teenage girls were approached as they were walking to school and sexually assaulted or assaulted.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Barrett led the investigation:

"These incidents caused considerable concern to the local community - all the victims were teenage girls, and apparently chosen at random," she said.

"They were making their way to school when they were subjected to needless and completely unprovoked attacks. I am grateful to all of them for their assistance to our investigation."

The boy found guilty yesterday was arrested in Thornton Heath on November 8.

Police said he was due to be sentenced on June 7, later this year.