Sabina Nessa's sister pays tribute to 'beautiful, talented and caring' teacher who 'was murdered

The sister of Sabina Nessa has paid tribute to the 'beautiful, talented and caring' primary school teacher who was murdered during a five-minute walk through a park to meet her friend at a pub, detectives say.

Officers investigating the death of the 28-year-old said she left her home on Astell Road and walked through Cator Park last Friday towards The Depot bar in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke Village, south-east London.

She was attacked in the park at around 8.30pm, and her body found on Saturday near the OneSpace community centre hidden under a pile of leaves. Reports have suggested her attacker was a stranger.

Last night, Ms Nessa's sister took to social media to commemorate her, writing: 'My beautiful, talented & caring sister. My inspiration to always put myself first & never let anybody put me down.

'Never in my life did I or my sisters or my mum or dad think this could happen to us. May Allah grant her Jannah. Ameen #SabinaNessa'.

She added in a separate tweet: '3 sisters down to 2. Pls make dua for her. No mother or father should have to go through this, may Allah grant my parents ease.'

The tribute comes as parallels are drawn to the horrific murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard in March, amid fresh fury that women could not walk through Britain's streets alone without fearing for their lives.

And in June 6 last year, sisters Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, were stabbed to death in a Wembley park in a random attack by 19-year-old Danyal Hussein, who believed he was acting on the orders of a demon.

Reclaim These Streets, an organisation campaigning for the safety of women and girls which has organised a vigil for tomorrow, said: 'This is an epidemic of violence against women. Enough with reports, what is the actual plan to keep us safe and alive?'

Detective Inspector Joe Garrity said: 'Sabina's journey should have taken just over five minutes but she never made it to her destination.

'We know the community are rightly shocked by this murder - as are we - and we are using every resource available to us to find the individual responsible.'

He added the investigation was making good progress and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch: 'We believe there are still others out there who may have information that could help.'

It is believed a stranger may have targeted Ms Nessa before dumping her body in a meadow.

A man in his forties was arrested on suspicion of murder a few hours after her body was found by a dog walker. But yesterday he was released under investigation pending further inquiries.

Nessa's cousin Zubel Ahmed told ITV News the family remain 'inconsolable' and revealed she was just 'five minutes' from her own home.

He said: 'The shock has not sunk in. She was a beautiful, kind, caring soul. I express my deepest sympathies for her sisters, mum and dad are absolutely devastated.

'Nothing is making sense to us, why was she taken from us we just don't know. She was the sweetest person, sweetest girl, I don't understand how someone can do this it's a big loss to our family.'

The primary school teacher, originally from Bedfordshire, is understood to have been just minutes from her home when she was attacked near the OneSpace Community Centre in Cator Park at around 8.30pm on Friday, September 17.

Her body lay undiscovered for several hours because it was 'off the main park walkway', according to police. There are fears she may have been murdered by a stranger.

A post-mortem examination was inconclusive and further tests will now be carried out to establish a cause of death.

The case has chilling connection to the killing of Sarah Everard, who was snatched off the street as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham, south London, on March 3 by Met Police firearms officer Wayne Couzens.

Her body was found a week later in woodland near Ashford, Kent, just yards from land owned by Couzens, 48. She had been raped and strangled.

Six months later, and women are continuing to speak out about their lack of safety on British streets - with a recent poll finding as many as 48 per cent of women do not feel safe walking alone.

Ms Nessa's death has sparked a wave of fury over women killed in public spaces in London this year - with campaigners urging action on the 'epidemic of violence' facing women.

Campaign group Our Streets Now said: 'Please, stop telling us we're overreacting. Sabina Ness, Sarah Everard, Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman. And these are just the names that we remember.

'Male violence is killing us. It's restricting our right to be free and equal citizens. We need change, now.'

The Year 1 teacher had worked for just over a year at Rushey Green Primary School, three miles away in Catford.

Before landing her first teaching job, she studied sociology at Greenwich University in south-east London and went on to complete a teaching postgraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire.

Miss Nessa also had a qualification from Cambridge to teach English as a foreign language.

Today, London mayor Sadiq Khan called violence against women and girls an 'epidemic' and called on men to be 'allies'.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Mr Khan said misogyny should be made a hate crime, and harassment in a public space against women should be a criminal offence.

He said: 'Between last year's International Women's Day and this year's International Women's Day, 180 women were killed at the hands of men across the country.

'We do have an epidemic when it comes to violence against women and girls.

'I think us men have got to be allies in addressing this issue.'

Yesterday, Mr Khan said he was 'heartbroken' at news of her passing and tweeted: 'I'm heartbroken by the death of Sabina Nessa. My thoughts are with her family, friends and the whole community.

'I urge anyone who was in the area to contact the Met - any information will be vital in the investigation and help bring the perpetrator to justice.