Friends and neighbours to hold vigil for Sabina Nessa on Friday

FRIENDS and neighbours of Sabina Nessa will hold vigil for Sabina Nessa, a primary school teacher who was found dead at the weekend, reports said.

The peaceful vigil will be held at 7 pm on Friday (24) evening in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke.

The community of Kidbrooke in Greenwich has invited those who cannot be there in person to light a candle on their doorstep at the same time, reported the Guardian.

The vigil is being supported by the group Reclaim These Streets, which organised a vigil after the murder of Sarah Everard in March, which was later banned by police because of Covid restrictions.

Reports said that Metropolitan Police officers will be attending the event tomorrow.

Nessa, 28, was killed on Friday (17) in Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, at about 20:30 BST, police believe.

Annie Gibbs, the vice-chair of the Kidbrooke forum community group, said people in the area were feeling shocked and scared.

“We are a loving community and we have a strong sense of solidarity,” she told the Guardian. “Everyone wants the same thing – to support Sabina’s family and to make sure that we find whoever did this so that she can get justice.”

According to Gibbs, police leaders in Greenwich had given community organisers assurances that they would provide a “calm level of support”, and had listened to concerns.

Nessa had worked for just over a year at Rushey Green Primary School, three miles away in Catford.

Before landing her first teaching job, she studied sociology at Greenwich University in south-east London and went on to complete a teaching postgraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire.

Reports added that Nessa also had a qualification from Cambridge to teach English as a foreign language.

Anna Birley, one of the group’s organiser’s, said Nessa’s death was more tragic evidence that urgent changes were needed.

Farah Nazeer, the chief executive of Women’s Aid, told the newspaper that women of colour still faced particular challenges in the criminal justice system and were less likely to be able to find help and be taken seriously.

Andrea Simon, the director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (Evaw), told the Guardian: “Women are united in anger and grief following the murder of Sabina Nessa, just six months after the government promised to take action to tackle violence against women following the murder of Sarah Everard but we are yet to see any meaningful transformation in the criminal justice system.”

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Nessa was on her way to a pub when she was 'murdered by a stranger' during a five-minute walk through the park.

Police said she left her home on Astell Road and was attacked in a park at around 8.30 pm. Her body was found by a member of the public on Saturday (18) near the OneSpace community centre hidden under a pile of leaves.

Last night, Nessa's sister took to social media to commemorate her, writing: "My beautiful, talented & caring sister. My inspiration to always put myself first & never let anybody put me down. Never in my life did I or my sisters or my mum or dad think this could happen to us. May Allah grant her Jannah. Ameen #SabinaNessa."

Nessa's cousin, Zubel Ahmed, has described her as the 'most caring person, kindest, sweetest girl you could meet.'

He told the BBC: "She's just got a beautiful soul, she's a caring person, she's left behind two cats. When we were at her house the other day the cats were looking for her."

Nessa's death has sparked a wave of fury over women killed in public spaces in London this year - with campaigners urging action on the 'epidemic of violence' facing women.

'Epidemic of violence'

Tributes have been paid to Nessa by many in the country and everyone has called for immediate justice.

Downing Street said the prime minister's thoughts were with the family and friends of Nessa.

A spokesman for Boris Johnson said: "The prime minister's focus is on making sure that we make our streets safe for absolutely everybody, that's why we're investing the money we are in recruiting more police officers and which is why we, as I say, introduced the strategy when it comes to violence against women and girls earlier this year."

London mayor Sadiq Khan has called violence against women and girls an 'epidemic' and called on men to be 'allies'.

Khan said misogyny should be made a hate crime, and harassment in a public space against women should be a criminal offence.

He said: "Between last year's International Women's Day and this year's International Women's Day, 180 women were killed at the hands of men across the country. We do have an epidemic when it comes to violence against women and girls."

Clive Efford, the MP for the constituency where Sabina was found murdered, has urged local residents to check doorbell cameras and CCTV for anything suspicious.

"If there's anyone else who is in that vicinity or who was at that time, you might have some vital evidence. Someone might have walked past a CCTV camera or a doorbell," he said.

Diana Award CEO Tessy Ojo CBE tweeted: "Her name is Sabina Nessa. She was 28 years old. Like #SarahEverard she was murdered in London. Please be outraged because violence against one is violence against all women. Our girls and daughters deserve safety, anywhere and everywhere."

Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, said: "Sabina Nessa's murder in a park at 8.30 pm is devastating. Her murder is not a one-off but part of an epidemic of gendered violence. We demand justice for Sabina and safety for all women, on the streets and in our homes."