POLICE CHARGE MAN WITH MURDER OF LONDON SCHOOL TEACHER SABINA NESSA

Tue 28 September 2021:

A man has been charged with the murder of Sabina Nessa, the primary school teacher who was found dead in a park close to her south London home.

Police detained Koci Selamaj, 36, early on Sunday morning in Eastbourne, east Sussex, just over a week after the 28-year-old teacher’s body was discovered. On Tuesday, he will appear in Willesden magistrates court on a murder charge.

On Friday, September 17th, Nessa is believed to have left her house in Kidbrooke, south-east London, at 8.30pm. She was supposed to meet a friend at the Depot bar in Kidbrooke Village’s Pegler Square, but she never showed up.

“Sabina’s journey should have taken just over five minutes, but she never made it to her destination,” Detective Inspector Joe Garrity told reporters last week.

“We know the community are rightly shocked by this murder — as are we — and we are using every resource available to us to find the individual responsible.”

More than 500 people took part in a vigil that paid tribute to the young teacher on Friday and hundreds paid their respects online, including the Duchess of Cambridge Catherine.

Lisa Ramsarran, a deputy chief crown prosecutor with the CPS, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the Metropolitan police service to charge Koci Selamaj, 36, with one count of murder. The charge relates to the murder of 28-year-old primary school teacher Sabina Nessa in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on Friday, 17 September 2021.”

Nessa’s family have told of their grief since her body was found. Her sister Jebina said:“We have lost an amazing, caring, beautiful sister who left this world far too early. She didn’t reach her 29th birthday next month.

“Sabina loved her family. We have lost a sister, my parents have lost their daughter, and my girls have lost such a brilliant and caring auntie who dearly loved them.

“Words cannot describe how we are feeling. It feels like we are stuck in a bad dream and can’t get out of it. Our world is shattered. We have simply lost the words. No family should go through what we are going through.”

Nessa’s death sparked concerns over the safety of women in London and acts of violence. Dozens called for an end to male violence against women on social media.

“Sabina Nessa WAS in a public place, she WAS surrounded by people, and it WASN’T late at night. So now what? Now what do we blame? We’re still pushing the message that if women follow certain ‘rules’ they won’t be attacked or killed,” a London-based journalist tweeted.

Sabina Nessa WAS in a public place, she WAS surrounded by people, and it WASN’T late at night. So now what? Now what do we blame? We’re still pushing the message that if women follow certain ‘rules’ they won’t be attacked or killed.

— Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) September 23, 2021