Latest news with #SabinaNessa
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
My niece, Zara Aleena, was murdered – now Starmer's told me how he'll halve violence against women and girls
Three years ago, my niece, Zara Aleena, was murdered on her way home from a night out in East London by a high-risk offender who should have been in prison. Her brutal murder could have been prevented if it weren't for failures by police, prison and probation services which resulted in the catastrophic early release of a man whose risk to the public was inaccurately assessed. Since then, alongside the families of other murdered women, I have campaigned against violence against women and girls, against the systems that fail women and girls – and against a culture that tolerates this violence. It is not often that families like ours are invited into the heart of government, but a week ago we were invited to No 10, bringing with us the grief of our families and the hope that no other family should have to endure what we have. I stood alongside Jebina Islam, the sister of Sabina Nessa (a murdered woman) and Ayse Husain, cousin of Jan Mustafa (a murdered woman), having been invited by the prime minister to meet face to face; not as campaigners, but as women carrying the lived reality of loss – and the determination to turn that loss into change. This crucial meeting with the prime minister came just a week after a vigil for Zara, which was attended by the minister for victims and violence against women and girls, Alex Davies-Jones and the health secretary Wes Streeting. It was a significant moment. When we stand together, we are no longer alone in our grief – we are together in our protest, in our call for change. Walking beside us, they joined our families and our community in protest and highlighted a leadership willing to stand in the hard places and face what we are not yet getting right. Our meeting with Keir Starmer further underscored the government's recognition of the issue. Davies-Jones and Claire Waxman, the London Victims' Commissioner, joined us in the room. Together, we spoke openly about the painful experience of perpetrators refusing to face sentencing – a cruel injustice that leaves victims' families with yet another absence, another silence, another failure of accountability. The prime minister listened. Calm, reflective, and open. He did not rush us. What was scheduled as a 30-minute meeting stretched to a full hour. And in that hour, we saw not a polished influencer or soundbite politician, but a leader who is willing to hear hard truths and to build change. We spoke about the Victims and Courts Bill, a critical step forward in compelling offenders to face the courts and the people they've harmed, and Starmer invited us to attend the Bill's third reading – the final stage of the legislative process – and one we hope symbolises the shift toward centering victims in the justice process. But beyond what is already happening, I asked for what we still need. I asked for the government's commitment to halve violence against women and girls within 10 years a cross-party mission, so it lasts beyond elections and outlives political cycles. He agreed. I asked for the government's commitment to make tackling violence against women and girls a responsibility shared across every government department, not just the Home Office, because safety must be woven into the fabric of government itself. He told us that work to embed this is already underway. I also presented my proposal for a Good Samaritan Law – a law that would create a duty to assist or report when someone is in danger. Similar laws already exist in Germany, Portugal and France. The idea is simple: if someone is in serious danger and you can safely help or call for help, you should. The prime minister agreed to consider the proposal and invited me to return in six months to discuss progress on everything we discussed. Since Zara's death, I have met with several ministers who have given me their condolences and their sorrow, and it was heartfelt, but this meeting stood out. It gives us all reason for hope. Hope because the prime minister spoke not of vague intentions, but of cultural change, where the voices of victims are no longer an afterthought but the heart of justice. Hope because we no longer have to fight alone. Of course, this government is by no means perfect. Serious cuts continue to compromise efforts to end violence against women and girls. Without proper investment, early intervention will remain an afterthought. But last week, the families invited to Downing Street saw the potential for something different: a government willing to be held to account. A leader willing to listen. It's not shiny politics. There are no fast answers. But it is real leadership. It is now on all of us to make sure these commitments turn into action. I look forward to returning to Downing Street to discuss progress – for Zara, for Sabina, for Jan – and for every woman and girl.
Daily Mirror
24-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Vigil to retrace murder victim's final steps before she was beaten to death
Relatives of Zara Aleena, Sabina Nessa and Jan Mustafa will join hundreds in a rally this Sunday to highlight the shocking 37 per cent rise in attacks on women in the past five years Three families whose loved ones were murdered by men will unite to lead a landmark vigil to end violence against women and girls. Relatives of Zara Aleena, Sabina Nessa and Jan Mustafa will join hundreds in a rally this Sunday to highlight the shocking 37 per cent rise in attacks on women in the past five years. The march - which marks three years since aspiring lawyer Zara, 35, was sexually assaulted and beaten to death by Jordan McSweeney on June 26 2022 on her way home - will retrace her final steps through Ilford, East London. And Zara's aunt Farah Naz will tell the vigil of the chilling conversation she had with her niece after the death of Sarah Everard, 33, who had been murdered by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens a year earlier as she walked home from a friend's house in South London. Farah told the Mirror: "I've never spoken about it before but Zara had a long conversation with me after Sarah's death in which she said, 'Why can't we just walk home? Why can't we walk our streets?' The injustice of it shook her. "It is devastating that she suffered the same fate and that no lessons were learned from Sarah's death. "Walking side by side with two other families who have gone through what we have will hopefully send out the message that violence against women and girls has to end now. "This vigil will be very powerful. Zara's legacy is to create change. As a society we have to change from the bottom up. We need to look out for others in our community. It is on us to make our streets safe by taking care of others and being aware that women and girls are at risk. "And politicians have to do their part and commit to sustainable change, before there is another dreadful case. I've been thinking about what Zara would say and I know she would say, 'Something has to change'." More than 3,000 offences of violence against women and girls are reported each day and one in 12 women are victims each year, according to the Office for National Statistics. The vigil will start with Farah's speech and a minute's silence before the crowd are led on the walk Zara took. Farah said they are looking to widen next year's vigil and she plans to meet police and council chiefs to discuss how to make Redbridge, the borough in which Zara died, safer. Redbridge council has launched a Don't Stand By, Step In campaign, which calls upon residents to keep an eye out for signs of sexual harassment. Joining the vigil will be the family of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, 28, who was beaten and strangled by Koci Selamaj in Kidbrooke, in South East London, on September 17, 2021. Loved ones of Mihrican Mustafa, 38 - known as Jan - will also attend. Her body was found next to Henriett Szucs, 34, in the padlocked freezer of Zahid Younis in Canning Town, East London, in April 2019. Her cousin Ayse Hussein said: "It's very important to attend as it is also part of my grieving process, and knowing I'm doing something to help raise awareness and to help stop violence against women and girls. "Myself, Farah and Jebina - Sabina's sister - have built a very special bond and we will continue to stand and support each other wherever we can." Campaign group End Violence Against Women will attend, alongside online safety app WalkSafe, whose founder, Emma Kay, said: "We stand with Zara's family in trying to create a safer world for all." 'Zara's death in June 2022 left an indelible mark on not only the community in London but all across the country. "We have seen first-hand - through the swathes of people who downloaded our apps after the deaths of Zara and Sarah Everard in 2021 - that women do not feel safe in their own cities and towns. This has to stop, "WalkSafe can provide safety information, journey planning & safety initiatives nationally all on one easy to use app. "We have to shine a light on violence against women and girls. For far too long women and girls have been denied the basic right of feeling safe as they walk home. "We stand with Zara's family in trying to create a safer world for all.' The vigil will take place on Sunday June 29 at 1.30pm at Valentine's Park in Ilford, East London.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
The Law Show Should killers be forced to attend sentencing hearings?
The Victims and Courts Bill is progressing through Parliament, and will force convicted criminals to attend their sentencing hearings. If criminals convicted of the most serious offences in England or Wales refuse to attend, or are disruptive in court, they will face an extra two years in prison. There are other sanctions too, including missing out on family visits. 'Reasonable force' can also be used to get criminals to attend. The families of three women killed in London - Sabina Nessa, Jan Mustafa and Zara Aleena - have been campaigning for a new law. In each case, the men who murdered their loved ones refused to come to their sentencing hearings. Their families are not alone; the mother of 9 year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was fatally shot in August 2022, has also been calling for a change in the law. The man who murdered her daughter also refused to come to court to be sentenced. But will the changes improve the court system for the families of victims? Also on the programme: The first purely-AI legal service has been given the go ahead in England and Wales - what does it mean for the UK legal sector? And who gets the dog? Why all couples might want to consider a "pet-nup" in case they split up. Presenter: Joelle Grogan Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles Editor Tara McDermott Contributors Charlie Sherrard KC, criminal justice barrister and judge Claire Waxman, Victim's Commissioner for London Dr Giulia Gentile, Department of Law, University of Essex and expert on AI and digital regulation Samantha Woodham, barrister and co-founder of The Divorce Surgery.
ITV News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Sister of Sabina Nessa welcomes plans to punish criminals who avoid sentencing
The sister of murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa said plans to punish criminals who avoid sentencing were a step in right direction. Tougher sanctions are being proposed in England and Wales which include more jail time or loss of privileges in prison. The families of Sabina Nessa and law graduate Zara Aleena are among those to have campaigned for change after their loved ones' killers were absent from sentencing hearings. Speaking to ITV News London, Sabina's sister Jebina Islam said it was important criminals were present, adding: "We thought he took the cowardly route out - we wanted him to hear our victim impact statement and what affect he had on us as a family. "When he didn't come to court [for sentencing] I was shocked. "I wanted him to hear what he had done to us - I wanted him to look at us and look me in the eye when I was reading the impact statement to tell him how much he has hurt me and my family and he's left a big hole in all of our hearts." Plans for tougher sanctions in England and Wales are among the measures in the Government's Victims and Courts Bill to be introduced to Parliament on Wednesday. Under the new legislation, judges will be given the power to sentence offenders for up to two more years in prison. For those who already face lengthy imprisonment or whole life orders, judges could also impose a range of prison punishments on offenders such as confinement to their cells and being stripped of privileges such as extra gym time. "I think it [the Bill] is a step in the right direction, it's a really good positive step that victims' families voices are being heard and being valued as well and listened to by parliament," Jebina Islam said. "I think with violence against young women and girls we are going through an epidemic. "We need more education for young children at school so they have an understanding of what's wrong and right," she added. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said: "I would like to thank the remarkable families of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Jan Mustafa, Sabina Nessa and Zara Aleena and countless others who have campaigned tirelessly for offenders to have to face the reality of their crimes by attending their sentencing. "Justice isn't optional – we'll make sure criminals face their victims." Family 'heartbroken' after body found in River Thames confirmed to be schoolgirl The Bill also plans to restrict parental responsibility from child sex offenders who committed serious crimes against their own child to boost protection for victims. The move will stop them being able to ask for updates on their child's schooling or trying to interfere in their life. Meanwhile, the Victims' Commissioner will be required to produce an independent report on whether agencies are meeting their statutory duty over the Victim's Code, in a bid to further hold the Government to account. Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said: "These important and welcome reforms give the Victims' Commissioner the statutory powers needed to deliver on the role's promise: championing victims' rights, scrutinising compliance with the Victims' Code, holding agencies to account, and spotlighting the true victim experience to drive meaningful change. "Crucially, it introduces much-needed oversight and accountability to how agencies respond to anti-social behaviour – an area where victims have too often felt unheard and unsupported."
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Criminals who skip sentencing could face two more years in jail under new bill
Criminals who refuse to attend sentencing in England and Wales could face an additional two years in prison, under a new bill to be introduced to Parliament on Wednesday. Additional powers for judges to punish offenders absent from sentencing will mean they cannot "opt out" of justice, victims' families have said. "It is not about punishment through force - but about ensuring that perpetrators cannot remove themselves from the consequences of their actions," said the families of murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, law graduate Zara Aleena and mother-of-three Jan Mustafa. All of their loved ones' killers did not attend their sentencing hearings, prompting calls to change the law. The bill will only become law once it has been approved by MPs and the House of Lords. Powers already exist to compel people to attend court but they are often not used. New measures under the Victims and Courts Bill could apply to any case in the Crown Court, including those who attend proceedings but are removed from court for disruptive behaviour - like Southport killer Axel Rudakubana. Offenders already facing whole life orders could be confined to their cells and be stripped of privileges, like extra gym time, under the new bill. In a joint statement, the victims' families said the development was a "step in the right direction, and that new punishments indicated "this change is being taken seriously". "It gives families a moment of recognition and a form of reparation. It is a moment of reckoning for the convicted," they added. In January, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promised to follow through on the legislation - initiated by the previous Conservative government - after meeting Cheryl Korbel. Her daughter, Olivia Pratt-Korbel, was shot dead in her home in August 2022, aged nine. Thomas Cashman, the gunman who killed Olivia, did not attend court to be jailed for 42 years. Anneliese Midgley, Ms Korbel's MP, said: "This law is down in no small part to my constituent Cheryl Korbel. I am so proud of her." "Sentencing is not just a legal formality; it is the culmination of justice. That's why it's so important that justice is not only done, but seen to be done." Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones said: "I would like to thank the remarkable families of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Jan Mustafa, Sabina Nessa and Zara Aleena and countless others who have campaigned tirelessly for offenders to have to face the reality of their crimes by attending their sentencing." "Justice isn't optional - we'll make sure criminals face their victims," she added.
