“We shouldn’t live in a world where women are scared to walk home alone”
Horrifyingly, Laura Prada was raped by a stranger after a night out. As Closer takes part in a new campaign to tackle violence against women, Laura shares her story
As Laura Prada walked the 15 minutes back to her student accommodation, she had no idea she was being followed. A masked figure dragged Laura by the hair into some bushes and, terrifyingly, raped her.
Laura, 21, says, “As he forced himself on me, I said goodbye to myself. I remember thinking I’d had an amazing life – I thought,
‘If this is the end, I hope people remember who I was, rather than the way I died.’ I thought of my family too; I prayed that this wouldn’t ruin their lives. I wanted them to be able to get past this.”
It was December 2019 and Laura had been on a night out in Liverpool, with friends. She stopped drinking around midnight and at 2am she left her group. The wait for a taxi was 30 minutes, so Laura decided to walk the 15 minutes back to her halls. But for the last mile of her walk, Laura was followed by Callum Jamieson, 24, who had previously been jailed for sexually and violently assaulting other women. CCTV shows that as Laura crossed a road, Jamieson hid behind a car to stay concealed.
EVIDENCE
Laura was across the road from her halls when Jamieson pounced. She says, “He knocked me to the ground. I asked if he was OK, I thought he might stop if I started talking to him – but he ignored me.”
A fellow student heard
Laura’s screams and interrupted her attacker. She says, “He ran away and I was taken into my accomodation. The rescuer helped me call the police.”
Ten days later, Jamieson was arrested thanks to a DNA match. He pleaded guilty, and in January 2020 he was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Laura says, “I just wanted to move on, but I was a different person to who I was before.
The confident me had gone;
I was always looking over my shoulder.”
ORDEAL
But Laura says the national lockdown in March 2020 forced her to confront her feelings. She says, “I had time to start working through what happened. It was hard, and when everyone started wearing masks, that was scary, as my attacker had worn one.”
As part of her recovery, Laura chose to go public with her story. Just a month later, Sarah Everard vanished.
Laura says, “When I found out about Sarah, it was devastating. It seems that, like me, she was attacked by a stranger. I know how scared she’d have been, and the thoughts racing through her mind. I wish someone could have helped her.
“I want to encourage women to put safety measures in place. Get a taxi rather than walk, and if you are by yourself, don’t wear headphones, and call a friend.
“It’s so important that we speak out about violence against women and staying safe. We shouldn’t live in a world where women are scared to walk home alone. I’m lucky I’m still here to tell my story – now, I want to help others.
By Kristina Beanland