Koci Selamaj, from Eastbourne on the south coast of England, pleaded guilty to carrying out the premeditated attack on 17 September. CCTV footage captured the garage worker attacking Nessa from behind and hitting her over the head 34 times with a 2-foot-long metal traffic triangle. An undated photo given by the Metropolitan Police on September 23, 2021, shows Sabina Nessa, who was murdered in a park in south London very close to her home. Metropolitan Police through AP Nessa, 28, was found dead in a park in Kidbrook, south-east London. Her murder – as she walked through a park just minutes from her home – sparked concerns that women were not safe on the streets of the British capital. Hundreds of people held vigils with candles in her memory shortly after her death, demanding an end to violence against women. People react as they hold lighted candles during a vigil for 28-year-old teacher Sabina Nessa, whose body was found near the Onespace Community Center in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke in south-east London on September 24, 2021. Tolga Akmen / AFP via Getty Images Nessa’s death came six months after the abduction, rape and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard in south London by an acting police officer. The Everard case shocked the country and also saw people take to the streets to denounce violence against women. “It is a striking feature of the accused’s case that, clearly intentionally, it does not imply that he had any remorse for what he did to Sabina Nessa,” said Judge Nigel Swini. Selamai chose not to attend the conviction for the accidental attack. Addressing Selamaj, Nessa’s parents, Abdur Rouf and Azibun Nessa, said in a statement: “You had no right to take her away from us in such a harsh way.” “The moment the policeman came to our house and told us he was found dead, our world was torn to pieces,” her parents said. “How could you do such a thing to an innocent girl who was passing by, doing her job.” “You are not human, you are an animal.” Police and local government have been criticized for responding to the killing. The local government in Kidbrooke has distributed 200 personal alarms to women and vulnerable people in the area. Police distributed leaflets with tips to stay safe on the roads, including recommendations for “planning your route in advance”, “telling someone where you are going” and “staying in busy places”. The advice provoked a quick public reaction, with many pointing out that Nessa was attacked while taking a short walk in a busy park in her neighborhood. “It’s not our fault we keep killing ourselves,” Jaime Klingler, co-founder of the activist group Reclaim These Streets, told CBS News. “This does not concern us and they must stop putting it on us.” Maddie Richards contributed to this report.
