We can’t accept our girls being murdered on the streets, says tragic Libby Squire’s devastated mum
THE heartbroken mum of murdered student Libby Squire has spoken of her horror at the slaying of yet another woman — and insisted: “We can’t accept our girls being murdered on the streets."
Gripping a mug painted with the word Mum, Lisa Squire added: “Women have the right to be out whenever they like.
“The only way to stop this is to look out for one another — to teach our children, our sons, how to look out for their sisters and girlfriends.”
Lisa spoke out after primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, 28, was killed walking to meet a friend last week.
A man has been arrested over the attack in Kidbrooke, South East London.
In March Sarah Everard, 33, was preyed on while walking home near Clapham Common.
Wayne Couzens — a serving cop at the time — will be sentenced for her kidnap, rape, and murder tomorrow.
Libby, 21, was grabbed from a Hull street after a night out in 2019.
She was raped and murdered by butcher Pawel Relowicz before her body was dumped in the Humber.
Lisa said: “I can’t believe that now another family is going through the unbelievable pain we are all still living with.
“We can’t accept our girls being murdered on the streets. We can’t accept it, because it is simply unacceptable. Something has to happen, or it will be another month and another girl will be dead.”
Lisa, a 51-year-old maternity ward nursery nurse, explained: “The night that Libby was murdered 18 people came across her. The 19th killed her.
“People say they can’t believe these women are being killed in built up areas. But predators come to built up areas to prey on them.
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“She wasn’t ‘vulnerable.’ People say that, but she wasn’t. She had every right to be out and having a drink that night. What made her vulnerable was the fact there are monsters out there.
“It is the same with Sabina and Sarah. Saying they are vulnerable because they are alone on the street is victim blaming. Women have the right to be out on our streets whenever they like.
“Historically women are always the ones at risk. We’re at risk from taxi drivers, at risk to walk alone at night. We have to look after each other.”
Asked what advice she would give to Sabina’s parents, Lisa said: “It is the worst possible pain. And I would say go with however you feel at the time. Sometimes I wanted to sit down and not speak. Other times I wanted to lie on the floor and scream. You have to go with however you feel.
“They will be going through the, ‘I can’t believe this has happened to us’ stage. I’d love to say that goes away, but it doesn’t.
“I would say try not to think about him [the killer]. I don’t give Libby’s killer any space in my head. I have a continuing bond with Libby, I don’t have room in my mind for him.
“I just wanted to know the details of Libby’s death from him. That was all I was interested in.
“In the same way when you have a baby you record the time of birth. I wanted the details of her death, the time of her death.
“Everyone is different — but that meant a lot to me.
“What I had in my head was actually worse than what happened to her. Knowing what happened, to an extent, is better than what you imagine happened.
“Although I still have so many unanswered questions. Libby was missing for 47 days. We just jumped between disbelief and despair. We still do.
“If someone had called 999 the night Libby was killed, if there was some protocol to follow, then she could have been saved. Make the call, don’t spend your life regretting not helping another person.”
Lisa went on: “I hold baby girls at work and I look at them and I am terrified. I want the streets to be safe for them when they are 21. But I don’t believe they will be.”
Lisa and husband Russell were at Sheffield crown court when Relowicz, 26, was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years.
Lisa said: “He will be about the same age as I am now when he gets out. We are serving the true life sentence.
“All the things we don’t get to do with Libby we think about a lot. Like her dad putting up shelves in her first house, having our first grandchild — all those normal things.”
'It is not good enough to hand us rape alarms'
Lisa believes so-called “lesser” sex crimes should be treated more seriously, with stronger sentences and earlier interventions.
She continued: “By Libby having Relowicz’s DNA on her she got him convicted — and I think that might have been her purpose. I’m sure he would have gone on to kill again.
“She was an incredible person and I am so incredibly proud of her. I am proud of what she achieved in her death and I hope that she has inspired other girls to look out for each other.
“If I could spend every moment with her again I would, even knowing how it ends.”
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a . from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Campaigner Jamie Klingler, who founded Reclaim These Streets after Sarah was killed, told The Sun: “Six months ago we called for change but we are still not any safer.
“Women should be free to walk home alone without the fear of being attacked.
“It is not good enough to hand us rape alarms. Real change needs to happen in our society and we cannot wait any longer.”
Women’s Aid chief Farah Nazeer called on the Government to “urgently address all forms of violence against women”.
She said: “It is only when women and girls are killed in public spaces that we see these headlines, but we know at Women’s Aid that women and girls are being attacked and killed week in, week out. One woman is killed on average every three days by a man in the UK.
“Most frequently this is by someone they know, with three women a fortnight being killed by a current or former partner.
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“On top of this there is the everyday harassment and sexism that underpins all forms of abuse, and it’s time to say that enough is enough.
“No one else should have to lose their daughter, sister or mum.”
