A teenager from St Ann’s, Nottingham was attacked outside the intu Victoria Centre on Tuesday, February 20 at around 8pm has left the 18-year-old in a coma.
Mariam Moustafa was left in an induced coma after being punched and kicked several times.
A 17-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm but has now been released on conditional bail.
A Nottinghamshire Police spokesman said: “We received a report that an 18-year-old woman was punched and kicked several times outside the intu Victoria Centre in Parliament Street, at about 8pm on Tuesday, February 20, before getting onto a bus. “The victim was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre where she remains in intensive care.
“We treat reports of this type of crime extremely seriously and we will investigate thoroughly to bring offenders to justice.
“Our investigation into this offence is ongoing. Extensive enquiries have already been completed, with numerous witnesses located and statements obtained, but we’re urging anyone with any information that could help us with our enquiries to get in touch with us as soon as possible.
“We have arrested a 17-year-old girl in connection with the incident who has subsequently been bailed with conditions while our enquiries continue.”
Mariam had just been offered a place at university in London and was shopping in the city centre when she was attacked by what police describes as “a group of women”.
She had agreed to meet her mum and sister later that evening, but she never showed up. Her family were told about the incident and quickly made their way to the Queen’s Medical Centre where the details of the incident unfolded.
Her parents, Mohamed Moustafa and Nessrin Shehata, were devasted to find she had been punched several times in Parliament Street before she was further verbally assaulted after getting onto the number 27 bus.
Her sister, Mallak, 15, speaking on behalf of the family said: “We are very upset about what has happened, she is such a kind, ambitious person and one who was running after her dreams of being an engineer.
“We don’t understand who would do this to her, she is very quiet and never gets involved in any problems. She was originally released from hospital on the same day and once we got her home she started to deteriorate and so she was rushed back to hospital.
“We were told that there was a bleed on her brain and she had suffered a stroke, one side of her body is now not responding. She is now in a coma and has been in that way since the night of the attack.
Anyone with information is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 335 of 21 February 2018, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
