Tearful vigil for murder victim Zara
HUNDREDS of people dressed in white gathered for a silent vigil yesterday afternoon to remember Zara Aleena, the 35-year-old law graduate who was killed as she walked home from a night out.
A tearful crowd, many carrying flowers and pictures of Ms Aleena, traced the tenminute route from the scene of her attack to her house in Ilford, East London.
Ms Aleena had been returning from a night out when she was dragged, kicked and stamped on in the early hours of last Sunday morning, prosecutors said. A post-mortem examination found she had suffered multiple injuries.
Her aunt Farah Naz described Ms Aleena as ‘giving, empathic and fearless’. Speaking at the vigil, she added: ‘We can see how short a walk it was for her. This is our Zara. This must never happen again.’
Mourners laid flowers and notes near where Ms Aleena died, with one message reading: ‘Out of everyone I have ever met, you were the only person to light up a room.’ Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘All women should be able to walk home safely. My thoughts and prayers go out to Zara Aleena’s family and friends, who came together with others today to remember her life.’
Speaking at the vigil, Anjum Mouj, chair of the Black Women’s Project, said: ‘When you have politicians who grope, rape and sexually assault people, don’t expect things to be different out here. Things have got to change, otherwise we will be having the same conversation again.’
Jordan McSweeney, 29, of Dagenham, East London, was remanded into custody at the Old Bailey on Friday charged with her murder. He is also accused of robbery and attempted rape.