Police in the United Kingdom have charged a man with the murder of female teacher Sabina Nessa, who was found dead near her home in London, rekindling public outrage over violence against women.
On the evening of September 17, Nessa, 28, left her home in Kidbrooke, south London, to walk the five minutes through a local park to a bar where she was supposed to meet a friend.
She never showed up, and her body was discovered in the park, buried in leaves, about 24 hours later. Koci Selamaj, 36, was charged on Monday and is scheduled to appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court in London on Tuesday. The suspect worked as a food delivery driver, according to reports.
Police had previously released CCTV footage of a man observed walking along Nessa’s route the night she was killed, urging anyone who recognized him to contact them right once.
The individual was suspected to be carrying a reflective red device that he was trying to hide up his sleeve, according to police. Nessa worked as a primary school teacher in Catford, southeast London. To memorialize Nessa and to raise awareness about violence against women, vigils were held in the local region and around the United Kingdom.
Hundreds of people, including her sister, gathered in Pegler Square, London, on Friday for a candlelit vigil. Nessa’s sister, Jebina Yasmin Islam, wept as she spoke to the crowds.
“Words fail to express how we feel; it feels like we’re trapped in a bad dream and can’t wake up — our world is destroyed, and we’re at a loss for words,” she said. “No family should have to go through what we have.”
The death of Nessa has stoked fears that women are not secure on the streets of London.
Her murder came six months after another woman, Sarah Everard was abducted, raped, and murdered by a police officer in south London in March, sparking a massive public outrage and demands for action.
Thousands of people took to the streets to protest the Everard case, which stunned the country.
