A 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of Sabina Nessa’s murder after her body was found last Saturday by a member of the public in Cator Park in south east London.
The Metropolitan Police stated that the man was being held at an address located in Lewisham.
Another man in his 40s was held on suspicion of murder the day after Nessa’s body was found. Further investigation led to his release.
Police believe the attack occurred around 8.30pm on the primary school teacher, aged 28, who had left her Astell Road home to meet a friend at The Depot Bar.
Detective Chief Inspector Joe Garrity said the park where her body was discovered was “likely being used by many people from dog walkers to joggers” at the time.
“Sabina was found near the OneSpace community centre which we know is a facility used by lots of people,” He also said so.
On Monday, a post-mortem examination was conducted. However, the results were not conclusive.
Police released an image of a car they believe he had access to
(PA)Speaking about the CCTV image appeal, Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said: “We would ask anyone – especially those in Kidbrooke and the wider area of Lewisham and Greenwich – to take a careful look at these images to check whether you know who this man is or have seen him over recent days.
“Any information as to his identity or whereabouts could be vital for our investigation so we are asking you to share this image far and wide to ensure as many people as possible see it.”
The man was captured on CCTV walking through Pegler Square
(PA)Lisa Williams, the headteacher of Rushey Green Primary School in Lewisham where Nessa had worked since July 2020, said in a statement that the school was “devastated by Sabina‘s tragic death”.
“She was a brilliant teacher; she was kind, caring and absolutely dedicated to her pupils,” she said. “She had so much life ahead of her and so much more to give and her loss is desperately sad.”
On Twitter, MP Apsana Begum said she shares the “rage and grief” at the death of Nessa.
Begum cites the statistic that on average,one woman is killed every three days, and despite every year presenting a “catalogue of violence”, things haven’t improved.
Shewrote: “We’re reminded in the murder of Sarah Everard & now #SabinaNessa, that safety is not a right afforded to all, it is a privilege. These aren’t isolated incidents & violence does not occur in a vacuum. The government have failed us on the pandemic of gender-based violence.”
A candlelit vigil will take place this Friday in Kidbrooke Village to commemorate Nessa’s life and to unite together against violence towards women.
Any information or witnesses are welcome to call 101, quoting reference 5747/18. To remain anonymous, please contactCrimestopperson 0800 555 111.