British teenagers admit to 'very weak' charges over fatal attack on Egyptian student Mariam Moustafa

Six teenage girls are to be sentenced for their attack which led to the death of an Egyptian engineering student in the UK last year, after admitting to charges, although this has been slammed as "very weak" by Moustafa's family.

Mariam Moustafa Abdel Salam, an 18-year-old Italian-born Egyptian, was punched several times on the street in Nottingham, central England by a group of "threatening and abusive" women.

She was followed onto a bus by the same gang, where the assault continued.

Doctors allegedly sent Moustafa home just five hours after the attack in February last year. She later suffered a stroke and fell into a coma for almost a month, before succumbing to her injuries in March.

Many believed at the time the attack was racially-motivated and provoked outrage in Egypt.

Three of the six teenagers, two aged 17 and one aged-18, had already admitted their role in the attack in October last year, but others had denied the charge of affray.

Mariah Fraser, 19, Britania Hunter, 18, and a 16-year-old girl finally admitted to the attack at a hearing earlier this month, Press Association reported.

All will be sentenced at a later date.

The case could later be reported after restrictions were lifted by the district judge.

Moustafa's father had not been earlier informed of the hearing earlier this month.

He claimed the authorities had consistently "failed" his family.

"As a family we are entitled to know everything regarding our daughter's case beforehand and not after," Mohamed Moustafa told PA. "This very simple right was taken from us."

"This is not the first mistake. A lot of mistakes happened with Mariam from the very first day and now it is just normal. Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes with Mariam. I believe it is not fair at all - because it is my daughter," he added.

Moustafa's family feels not enough has been done to provide justice for the teenager.

Moustafa said the affray charge was "very weak", and that there was "strong evidence" the young women should have been handed down more serious charges.

The maximum sentence for affray - essentially a fight in public - is just three years.

"It's unfair and unjust to charge those whom killed or, at least by their actions, led to [Mariam's] death with such minor offences," said Moustafa.

A Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) spokesman said CPS had apologised to the family for failing to keep them "updated" on the hearing, in which two of the three guilty pleas were "unexpected".

"We have also met with Mr Moustafa to explain the charge of affray, the CPS can only charge if the evidential stage of our tests for prosecution are met. Our thoughts remain with her family," the spokesman explained.