EXCLUSIVE: Solace charity director speaks out 5 years after Sarah E | UK | News | EUROtoday

Women are nonetheless dwelling in worry 5 years after the homicide of Sarah Everard, a number one charity director has warned.

Rebecca Goshawk, Director of Business Development at Solace Women’s Aid, instructed the Daily Express: “Unfortunately, we’re still seeing as many women’s lives lost as we were five years ago.”

Ms. Everard’s homicide in March 2021, when she was kidnapped and killed by a serving police officer, shocked the nation and sparked widespread outrage. Vigils had been held throughout the nation, whereas public anger intensified following the policing of gatherings held in her reminiscence, triggering a nationwide reckoning over ladies’s security and belief in establishments meant to guard them.

At the time, ministers pledged pressing motion on violence in opposition to ladies and women. However, official figures recommend the size of the issue has remained stubbornly excessive. According to the Office for National Statistics, within the yr ending March 2025, an estimated 3.8 million folks aged 16 and over skilled home abuse, in line with the Office for National Statistics — about 7.8 per cent of adults.

Around 2.2 million of these had been ladies, underscoring the gendered nature of the issue. With charities warning that demand for assist providers has not eased.

Five years on, Ms Goshawk stated the difficulty stays deeply regarding. “At the root of everything we see – from daily street harassment to the most extreme violence – is misogyny,” she stated.

Solace Women’s Aid helps 1000’s of girls and women affected by violence annually, offering refuges, community-based assist, and rape disaster providers. Ms Goshawk stated many ladies proceed to hunt assist amid fears for his or her security. “Many people come to our services fearful for their lives,” she defined.

She additionally raised considerations about accountability inside positions of authority, including: “We’ve had more people come forward with experiences of their perpetrator being a serving police officer or in a position of power.”

While Ms Goshawk acknowledged elevated consciousness since Ms Everard’s homicide, she warned progress had fallen brief. “Unfortunately, we haven’t seen the step change we hoped for,” she stated, including that schooling was key to long-term prevention.

“That culture change can start with education in schools, really teaching people what healthy relationships look like,” she stated, warning that dangerous attitudes can take maintain early. “Girls in primary school have already started to experience sexual harassment.”

Reflecting on Ms Everard’s legacy, she added: “There was a moment when people were incredibly shocked, and it made many understand the danger women and girls are facing.”

She continued: “This is a moment to remember the change that’s still needed, and that tackling violence against women and girls requires a whole-society approach.”