A man today appeared in court charged with “child destruction” after allegedly attacking a former partner who was heavily pregnant.
The 21-year-old victim, Malorie Bantala, who was 32 weeks pregnant, lost her unborn child and remains in a critical condition after the assault near her home in Peckham on Monday.
Kevin Wilson, 21, of Longfield Estate, Bermondsey, appeared at Camberwell magistrates’ court accused of child destruction and grievous bodily harm with intent.
Wearing a grey sweatshirt and grey jogging bottoms, he spoke only to confirm his name and address during the 40-minute hearing. He was remanded in custody to a later date.
Miss Bantala, 21, was attacked by two men wearing motorcycle helmets who threw her to the ground and jumped on her stomach. Police took her to hospital after an ambulance failed to arrive despite a 999 call.
Medics at Kings College Hospital were unable to save her unborn child.
Miss Bantala’s mother Ida, 49, said she had been alerted to the attack by the shouts of a neighbour.
She said: “We want witnesses to come forward. I rushed down and there she was just lying on the pavement with the police. She was just crying and crying. If you see your daughter like that, it’s awful. Words can’t explain it.”
Miss Bantala graduated from the University of Bedfordshire with a degree in events management and had worked part-time at Sainsbury’s for the past two years.
Her two attackers were described as black men in their twenties.
The London Ambulance Service apologised for the non-appearance of an ambulance and is investigating. Miss Bantala was forced to wait for more than an hour being taken to hospital in the back of a police car.
