A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering London teacher Sabina Nessa, whose death has again cast focus on the issue of women’s safety in the UK’s capital.
Key points:
- Police said a 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of Ms Nessa’s murder
- Ms Nessa was killed on a five-minute walk to meet a friend last week
- Her death is the latest in a series of high-profile crimes against women in London
It is believed Ms Nessa, 28, was killed last week on a five-minute walk from her south-east London home to a pub, where she planned to meet a friend.
She never arrived and her body was found in a nearby park the following day, but a post-mortem examination could not conclude how she died.
After six days of investigation, police said on Thursday evening local time that they had arrested a 38-year-old man on suspicion of murder.
A man in his 40s had previously been arrested and released in connection with the case.
Police said this man could be vitally important to their investigation.(
Supplied: Metropolitan Police
)Investigators also released images of a different man they wanted to speak to, who was captured on CCTV in the area on the night Ms Nessa died.
The images showed the man, dressed in grey pants and a black top, walking down the street, and a silver car police said he had access to.
“Any information as to his identity or whereabouts could be vital for our investigation,” Detective Chief Inspector Neil John from the Metropolitan Police said.
Officers had said they were probing whether Ms Nessa was attacked by a stranger.
Sabina Nessa’s body was found in Cator Park, in south-east London.(
AP: Ian West/PA media
)
Ms Nessa’s death is the latest high-profile crime where a woman was victimised on London’s streets.
“When I think of Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman, Sarah Everard, it’s heartbreaking,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan said, referencing other women killed in similar public attacks.
“If you compare and contrast this International Women’s Day in 2021 versus International Women’s Day in March 2020, in the course of that year 118 women were killed by men across the country.”
Mr Khan said more could be done to curb violence against women both in the home and on the UK’s streets.
“Outlawing misogyny, making it a hate crime, making the harassment of women in a public place a criminal offence,” he said.
“I think this deserves the same priority as counterterrorism.”
A vigil for Ms Nessa is planned for Friday evening local time.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/sabina-nessa-murder-london-uk-metropolitan-police/100488576
