Today marks one year since Sarah Everard went missing
A year ago today she was kidnapped by a serving Met police officer
Last updated 3rd Mar 2022
It is exactly one year ago today (3rd March) that Sarah Everard went missing from Clapham, South London, walking home from her friend's house and just after she was on the phone to her boyfriend.
Sarah Everard was reported missing on 4th March 2021 by her family.
She was raped and killed by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens and he was handed a whole-life time sentence.
The murder of the 33-year-old sparked a nationwide conversation around women safety on the streets and the violence against women in general.
Vigils and movements took place just days after the horrific murder happened, with thousands of women calling for better education, reform and protection.
In a statement, Sarah Everard's mother said that her daughter "will never be forgotten and is remembered with boundless love.
"I cling on to the memories of Sarah, I hold them tight to keep them safe," she added.
Nationwide protests and vigils
As well as vigils, protests took place across the country to mourn Everard's loss and to fight for the safety of women and girls on the streets.
A vigil for Sarah Everard took place on Saturday 13 March 2021 on Clapham Common, though the vigil was broken up by Met police and was considered 'unlawful' due to the Covid-19 regulations on large gatherings at the time.
Patsy Stevenson, who was a prominent figure during the vigil, said:
"I am angry that the police shut down our space to mourn and comfort each other and I feel violated that male officers used physical force to do so."
Many more vigils took place across the country in memory of her.
Movements and political change
Organisations like Reclaim These Streets (RTS) was formed as a response to the murder of Sarah Everard. The collective has local communities around the UK and is for all women who feel unsafe and face violence everyday.
They "wanted to channel the collective grief, outrage and sadness in our community".
RTS organised the vigil on Clapham Common and was seen as a way of publicly urging for women's safety in the UK's streets.
Also, the government have recently created a campaign 'Enough' to stop violence against women and girls and to also mark the anniversary of Sarah Everard's death. It demands for societal change and how to notice the warning signs of harassment.
Our very own campaign #IWalkWithWomen was launched after the death of Sarah Everard in March 2021, and we wanted to make sure this issue remains in the public spotlight and calls on authorities to act to protect women and girls.
One year on since the murder of Sarah Everard
To mark one year since Sarah Everard going missing, there are events taking place to commemorate Sarah Everard and many more victims of gendered violence:
You can register to attend the Walk her home Lambeth March which takes place on Friday, with more information on their Twitter page.
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