Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

‘It’s scary that I too could be a victim’

‘It’s scary that I too could be a victim’

by LAUREN CODLING

THE murder of Sarah Everard has “reinforced the fear” of travelling and going outside alone, women have said, as they detailed the measures they take to feel safe.


The body of Everard, 33, was found last week in a woodland area of Kent. The marketing executive was last seen as she walked towards her home in south London on March 3. Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, was charged with her kidnap and murder last Friday (12).

The case has triggered a nationwide call for action as women across the country shared their experiences of harassment, abuse and violence at the hands of men. Commentators included journalists Ash Sarkar and Ayesha Hazarika, with the latter revealing she wears trainers at night in case she needs to flee from an attacker.

LEAD Safety INSET Ayesha tweet

Speaking to Eastern Eye, Jabeen Mallik*, 18, said the case had reminded her of how cruel people can be and the “scary possibility” that she could fall victim to a similar crime.

“Reading about this case on the news has genuinely reinforced the fear I already feel about going out and travelling alone,” Mallik, from London, said. “It just reminds me of how things like this are actually possible. The anxiety already existed, but this has heightened it to another level. It also saddens me to think people could be so vile and hurt an innocent person.”

Liyana Farooqi*, 28, said the case has affected her trust in others– especially given that the suspect is a police officer. “It’s made me feel that I cannot trust anyone – even those who are supposed to protect us,” the substitute teacher told Eastern Eye. “(The case) has made me feel more uncomfortable with male presence and not doing things alone or walking alone at night.”

However, Bina Hatwal*, 27, admitted she was not particularly shocked by the Everard case. She recalled numerous high-profile cases in the past when women and girls have been kidnapped and killed, including Grace Millane – a British backpacker who was murdered in New Zealand by a 26-year-old man in 2018.

LEAD Safety Sarah Everard 2 cred Met Police Sarah Everard vanished as she walked home in London on March 3

“I know it is bad to say, but there have been a number of instances in the past when women and girls have been attacked or abducted,” she told Eastern Eye. “You become a bit immune and desensitised to it.”

All three women admitted feeling obliged to take several precautions while outside in order to feel safe at night. Mallik said she always keeps her keys between her fingers in case of an attack and her thumb over the power button on her mobile, so she can press it repeatedly for emergency help. She hides her jewellery too, especially in places where there is no CCTV.

“During winter, I put up my hood to hide my hijab, in order to make me less likely to be a victim of an attack,” she added.

Farooqi revealed she always tells a friend where she is going and who with, if it is late at night. “Especially if I’m going out on a date,” she admitted.

Hatwal said she has even tried to hide her physical features while out at night. “I try not to look vulnerable,” she said. She admitted feeling uncomfortable during the winter when it becomes dark earlier in the day.

“There have been times when I’ve met my friends around 6pm when it gets dark, and I’ve felt frightened,” she said. “One time, I was meeting my friend and I felt really scared coming out the station and going to meet her.”

Following Everard’s death, it was announced on Tuesday (16) that new safety measures would be put in place in England and Wales. This would include an additional £25 million for better lighting and CCTV, and a new pilot scheme would see plain-clothes officers in pubs and clubs.

GettyImages 1231713882 Protesters have called for greater public safety for women after the death of Sarah Everard

Meanwhile, a recent survey by UN Women UK found 97 per cent of young women in Britain have been sexually harassed.

Hatwal said there have been times when she has been made to feel uncomfortable with unwanted attention in bars and nightclubs. Mallik said she is regularly cat-called while walking to her local shop by “strange men”. “You can tell they are trying to unsettle you,” she said. “Once a man shouted at me while I was on my way to Asda. He shouted ‘oi’. It’s a small incident, but it’s enough to frighten you, especially being a girl and one of colour wearing a hijab.”

Hatwal said the government and authorities have not done enough to stop violence against women. “There have been so many occasions when the prime minister has said ‘our thoughts and prayers go out to…’ It is the same rhetoric all the time,” Hatwal said. “But it is all words and no action.”

The student added that there needed to be education programmes for men and women from an early age. “When I was at school, I felt we didn’t get taught these things at all,” she said. “I don’t think parents actively talk to boys and tell them, ‘don’t do this to girls, don’t do that’. The lack of education is quite concerning.”

Meanwhile, Labour MP Jess Phillips read out in the Commons the names of all 118 women murdered by men in the UK last year. “The message that needs to be sent is male violence is something that has to be tackled and challenged and the justice system and society has to wake up to that,” said Phillips.

Home secretary Priti Patel said, “Every woman should feel safe to walk on our streets without fear of harassment or violence.”

Addressing MPs in the Commons, she added, “Too many of us have walked home from school or work alone, only to hear footsteps uncomfortably close behind us. Too many of us have clutched our keys in our fists in case we needed to defend ourselves, and that is not ok.”

The government has received 78,000 new responses to its appeal for evidence on violence against women, which was reopened last Friday (12) in light of the reaction to the Everard case. “That is completely unprecedented and considerably more than the 18,000 responses received over the 10-week period when the survey was previously opened,” said Patel. She added the responses would help shape a new strategy on tackling violence against women that she would present later this year.

To submit your response for the government's call to evidence on violence against women, see: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/violence-against-women-and-girls-vawg-call-for-evidence

(With agencies)

*Names have been changed to protect identities

More For You

ve-day-getty

VE Day 80 street parties, picnics and community get togethers are being encouraged to take place across the country as part of the Great British Food Festival. (Photo: Getty Images)

Public invited to attend VE Day 80 procession and flypast

THE 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day will be marked with a military procession in London on May 5.

The event will include over 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, youth groups, and uniformed services marching from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.

Keep ReadingShow less
Knife crimes

Knife-enabled crimes include cases where a blade or sharp instrument was used to injure or threaten, including where the weapon was not actually seen.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Knife crime in London accounts for a third of national total: ONS

KNIFE-RELATED crime in London made up almost a third of all such offences recorded in England and Wales in 2024, with the Metropolitan Police logging 16,789 incidents, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

This amounts to one offence every 30 minutes in the capital and represents 31 per cent of the 54,587 knife-enabled crimes reported across England and Wales last year. The total number marks a two per cent rise from 53,413 offences in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Modi

Starmer and Modi shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil, on November 18, 2024.

Getty Images

Starmer calls Modi over Kashmir attack; expresses condolences

PRIME MINISER Keir Starmer spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning following the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that killed 26 people on Tuesday.

According to a readout from 10 Downing Street, Starmer said he was horrified by the devastating terrorist attack and expressed deep condolences on behalf of the British people to those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Post Office spent £600m to keep Horizon despite plans to replace it: Report

THE POST OFFICE has spent more than £600 million of public funds to continue using the Horizon IT system, according to a news report.

Despite deciding over a decade ago to move away from the software, the original 1999 contract with Fujitsu prevented the Post Office from doing so, as it did not own the core software code, a BBC investigation shows.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less