Sarah Everard was walking home when she was abducted and brutally murdered in March 2021 during the third COVID-19 lockdown. At least 139 women were killed by men in the UK in 2021. Sarah’s murder ignited a wave of fear, grief, and anger. Women shared their experiences of male violence, harassment, and intimidation; while Sarah’s name joined a list of women whose deaths had passed without public outcry, and allegedly with inadequate police investigations. What had happened to Blessing Olusegun, Bibaa Henry, and Nicole Smallman?

 

These photos were taken at the vigil held for Sarah, shortly after her death, when 100s gathered and tried to share their grief for Sarah and for all the women lost to male violence. Despite other protests occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, the police had tried to cancel the vigil for Sarah Everard due to fears of contagion of the virus. And while this was a peaceful vigil mostly made up of women, the police violently dispersed the crowd. In a bitter twist of irony, we would shortly find out that a policeman murdered Sarah. How much more violence must women suffer?