December 2024

 Hi All, thank you for coming to this evening’s Vigil where each month we name, remember & pay our respects to the victims who have been murdered by the hands of men. This list is updated by Karen Ingala Smith, usually each month but I have a longer number of names tonight as the list has had some names missing from previous months:

6 September 2024:
Barbara Nomakhosi, 35, was found dead with multiple injuries at a property in Bury. A man in his 40s, the only suspect in her death, died in a Collison with a lorry and a pedestrian in the M65. Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death.

29 September 2024:
An unnamed woman in her 70s was found with injuries at an address in Birmingham. She was taken to hospital but died of her injuries. Her son, Surjit Kaulam, 38, is charged with murder.

1 October 2024:
Mary Ward, 22, was found dead at her home in Melrose Street, South Belfast. Ahmed Abdirahman, 31, has been charged with her murder.

5 October 2024:
Christine Jefferies, 72 was found dead by gunshot wounds at her home in Trowbridge, Cardiff. Her husband, Stephen Jefferies, 74 was also found dead. It is alleged as a murder-suicide.

8 October 2024:
An unnamed woman in her 70s was found dead at a property in Rugby. Surendra Patel, 78, is charged with her murder.

9 October 2024:
Mashal Ilyas, 24, was pronounced dead at a property in Wigan. Nadeem Muhammed Begum, 52, is charged with her murder.

20 October 2024:
Luka Bennett-Smith, 19, died of multiple stab wounds at a property in Bristol. A boy of 16-years has been charged with her murder.

29 October 2024:
Sandie Butler, 40, was assaulted and killed in Glasgow city centre. James McCrindle, 53, is charged with murder.

11 November 2024:
Cheryl McKenna, 44, was found with fatal stab wounds at a home in Redditch. Chris Hemming, 46, is charged with murder.

14 November 2024:
Harshita Brella, 24, was found dead inside a car boot in Ilford. Police believe Harshita was strangled to death by her husband, Pankaj Lamba, 23. A Domestic Violence Protection Order was issued in September. It is believed Lamba has fled the country.

15 November 2024:
Carol James, 81, was found with serious injuries at a property in Bexleyheath. She died at the scene. Brian James, 81, has been charged with murder.

18 November 2024:
Phoenix Spencer-Horn, 21, was found dead in a flat in Lanarkshire. A 26-year-old man has been charged over her death.

Lets take a moment to reflect on the lives cut short by the men responsible for these women’s deaths.

So I am sure you will have all have been aware of the recently reported abuses against women;

· The ongoing cases against Mohamed Al Fayed, there are now 90 more new victims since the original 21 women who came forward before the airing of the BBC Documentary Al Fayed; Predator at Harrods, in September, as well as the 150 complainants following the airing of the documentary spanning nearly 40 years from 1977 – 2014, with the youngest complainant just 13 at the time of the alleged attack. The abuses have been reported to have taken place up to his death last year aged 94. One legal Representative for the Justice for Harrods Survivors

Group has described it as one of the worst cases or corporate abuse of women ever seen.

· The big rise in the number of young girls being having their drinks spiked or with needles to enable sex crimes or assault. Latest figures for 2023 show 6,732 reports of spiking, some 561 per month. There are calls for this to be made a specific offence & Keir Starmer is in talks to make this happen.

· Masterchef host Gregg Wallace is facing a furious backlash after posting a video claiming allegations of his sexualised behaviour during filming are from ‘middle class women of a certain age’. I don’t know how this will pan out, hopefully he won’t be on prime time TV any more, but today whilst prepping for this evening there has been a lot of women of a certain age posting on our WEP page about the support and leadership some of these women of a certain age have experienced and are giving to their younger sisters.

· There are many more stories to be told but it seems a gruesome, heartbreaking never ending litany, lets hope for some positive changes.

On Monday 25th Nov The Metro free newspaper which reaches 5m readers every day has launched a 12 month Campaign called This is Not Right, which aims to both engage & empower their readers. Highlighting that violence against women has escalated to new heights in recent years – the stats are shocking. Between 2018 & 2023 there was a 37% increase in crimes related to violence against women & girls. What number might the unreported incidences be? Women’s Aid have shared with Metro that 72% of people underestimate the prevalence of Domestic Abuse and report that there is a serious & harmful lack of awareness that is inhibiting progress towards reversing this trend. Julie Devey, of Killed Women – an organisation for bereaved families – told Metro we live in a society that still tolerates misogyny and in many cases does not even notice it it is so engrained. The fact is women are still not being taken seriously. Yvette Cooper who is now the Home Secretary wrote in the Launch copy on Monday that these crimes are not just statistics but are terrible stories of trauma, pain, fear & harm, both physical & psychological. She stated that the Government’s mission is to halve the violence against women & girls in a decade, that it isn’t a choice but a Moral Imperative. I think too low a target & over too long a period!!! There are many more stories you can read online metro.co.uk

Thanks for your time & attention, wishing you all a Safe and Happy Christmas.

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