Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Nessa case got less publicity than Everard’s ‘because of ethnicity’

Nessa case got less publicity than Everard’s ‘because of ethnicity’

SABINA NESSA’S sister Jebina Islam has claimed the young primary school teacher’s ethnicity may be why her death did not get the media coverage Sarah Everard did.

Everard, 33, a white London resident who worked as a marketing executive, was killed by serving police officer Wayne Couzens on March 3 last year.

Nessa, 28, a British Bangladeshi, was murdered in September. Her body was found in a park in southeast London on September 18, the day after she disappeared while walking through the area to meet a friend.

In an interview with the BBC’s Today programme on Monday (11), Islam said, “My sister didn't get as much headlines, at the start. Maybe was it down to her ethnicity?

“She didn't get the front pages on some of the papers, and in Sarah Everard's case she did.”

She added: “I think it's just down to our ethnicity to be honest.

"And I feel like if we were a normal British white family we would have been treated equally, I guess.”

Islam also slammed home secretary Priti Patel for a lack of support from the Home Office as well as the prime minister following the violent murder of Nessa.

Last Friday (8), Koci Selamaj, a 36-year-old delivery driver from Albania was jailed for life for murdering Nessa.

The home secretary said on Twitter, “While I can't possibly know how Sabina's family and friends are feeling, I hope today's sentence brings them a small comfort, knowing this evil monster has faced justice.

“As home secretary, tackling violence against women and girls is central to my Beating Crime Plan and I am doing everything in my power to target perpetrators, protect the public and make our streets safer for everyone.".

However, Islam said, “You don't know what we as a family are going through and to be honest you haven't even bothered to ask since the death of my sister.

“Lack of support from yourself and Boris Johnson just shows how 'important' it is to tackle male violence to you guys.”

Selamaj refused to appear for his sentencing in London's Old Bailey court, where judge Nigel Sweeney said he had committed a "savage" and sexually motivated attack.

Nessa was the "wholly blameless victim of an absolutely appalling murder which was entirely the fault of the defendant", Sweeney said, noting that Selamaj had shown no remorse during his trial.

Following the verdict, Nessa's parents Abdur Rouf and Azibun Nessa said in a statement: "You had no right to take her away from us in such a cruel way."

"The moment the police officer came to our house and told us she was found dead our world shattered into pieces," her parents said. "How could you do such a thing to an innocent girl walking by, minding her own business."

"You are not a human being, you are an animal."

Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, who led the investigation, described Selamaj as an "evil coward" after the sentencing.

"Right across the Met there is a relentless effort to tackle violence against women and girls and to bring those who perpetrate these crimes to justice," he said.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less