Hundreds of people gathered at a night vigil dedicated to Zara Aleena, who was killed when she walked home one evening.
the 35-year-old law graduate was just minutes from her front door when she was attacked on June 26 while walking along Cranbrook Road in Ilford, East London.
On Saturday, almost a week after her death, a vigil arranged by Ms Aleena’s family takes place to try to bring comfort to her loved ones while highlighting the epidemic of male violence against women and girls.
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Undated family handout photo released by Zara Aleena Metropolitan Police, detectives said they believe she was “attacked by a stranger” as she walked along Cranbrook Road in the early hours of Sunday morning toward Gants Hill station. Issue Date: Monday 27 June 2022.
Many of those on Cranbrook Road wore white clothes while mourners left dozens of bouquets of flowers and tickets in tribute to Ms Aleena.
Roads were closed in the area so the crowd could walk the 10-minute journey from the scene of her attack to her home.
Members of me. Aleena’s family led the crowd as it began the step home she would have taken.
Many liked flowers and photos of Ms Aleena and wore T-shirts with her image.
Marai Larasi, a member of the Million Women Rise campaign group, said: “We are here to support the family, we are here to bring her home in spirit, we are here to honor her life, and we are here with absolute exhaustion, because we are tired of vigilance, we are tired of crying and we are tired of burying women of all ages and stages in life. ”
Ms Aleena’s aunt spoke to the media on Friday, saying her cousin was in her own local community, in an area she knew well where she felt safe when she was attacked.
Farah Naz said the family was determined to try to “change something” and force Britain’s political leaders to “act now to prevent violence”.
She said: “(My cousin) was not ignorant of the fact that women get hurt. It’s not about making the streets safe, it’s about changing attitudes. ”
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Farah Naz, the maternal aunt of the murdered law graduate Zara Aleena, during an interview with the media in East London. Ms Aleena was attacked as she walked home in the early hours of Sunday morning from an evening out along Cranbrook Road in Ilford, to Gants Hill station. Photo Date: Friday, July 1, 2022.
Ms Naz wept, adding: “We will never get through this, but it (the step) will help us.”
The guard takes the form of a quiet step that follows the route that Ms. Aleena took but could never complete, “to bring her back to where she belongs safely”.
Those who attended the night vigil met at 13:30 opposite Cranbrook Rise on Cranbrook Road in Ilford, and the march began at 14:17 – the time in the morning on 26 June, Ms Aleena was attacked.
Her family requested that participants wear white and remain “quiet and gloomy” while “we walk home for Zara in our hearts”.
In anticipation of the silent vigil for Ms Aleena, women shared photos of their shoes on social media with the hashtag #SafelyHomeInOurShoes.
The Londoner was on her way home from an evening when she was dragged, kicked and bumped on her, prosecutors said.
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Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Jordan McSweeney appears via video link from HMP Thameside during a trial in Old Bailey, London, where he is accused of murdering the law graduate Zara Aleena. Ms Aleena was attacked as she walked home in the early hours of Sunday morning from an evening out along Cranbrook Road in Ilford, to Gants Hill station. Photo Date: Friday, July 1, 2022.
A post-mortem found she had sustained multiple serious injuries.
Jordan McSweeney, 29, of Church Elm Lane, Dagenham, East London, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, accused of murder, attempted rape and robbery.
He has not pleaded guilty and is in custody.