Sabina Nessa: Police make appeal following teacher’s murder in London

Sabina Nessa, who was 28, is believed to have been killed while making a short walk through a park in London, in a case that has sparked new concerns for the safety of women in the capital.

Metropolitan Police have released details of the route she was taking at the time of her killing, in the hope people will come forward with more information.

The primary school teacher was walking through a local park in Kidbrooke, southeast London, to meet a friend at a pub on the evening of September 17, when officers believe she was attacked.

Her body was found in the park the following afternoon.

The case follows the rape and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard in south London by a serving police officer just a few months ago.

That case shocked the country and saw thousands take to the streets to denounce violence against women.

• London police criticised for clashing with mourners at vigil to remember Sarah Everard

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday described the violence against women as a national “epidemic."

“We have got to give this issue the same seriousness we give other issues,” he told ITV.

More than 180 women have been killed by men across England from March 2020, he added.

A man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of murder but he has been released under further investigation.

Results from a post-mortem examination carried out on Monday were inconclusive.

“Sabina’s journey should have taken just over five minutes but she never made it to her destination," Detective Inspector Joe Garrity said. “We know the community are rightly shocked by this murder - as are we - and we are using every resource available to us to find the individual responsible.”

A vigil is due to be held in Nessa's memory on Friday.

Lisa Williams, the headteacher of Rushley Green Primary School where Nessa worked, remembered her as “brilliant”, “kind” and “caring.”

The London mayor also mourned the deaths of sisters Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, who were both murdered in a park in Wembley, north London, by 19-year-old Danyal Hussein in June 2020.

Safeguarding minister Rachel Maclean told Parliament on Wednesday: “This is a government that is passing legislation, setting out actions and tackling these horrific crimes and we are determined to see a reduction in them.”