Blue plaques have been revealed in memory of murdered women, reports Rebekah Samuel
Newham campaigner Ayse Hussein joined the campaign group Killed Women, Labour MP Jess Phillips, and Alex Davies-Jones, Minister for Victims of Violence Against Women, outside parliament to unveil blue plaques in memory of lost loved ones and calling for tougher sentencing laws.
The protest highlighted research from Killed Women, a network for the bereaved relatives of murdered women, which suggests “outdated and misogynistic” guidelines result in lenient sentences for their killers.
Mrs Hussein’s cousin, Mihrican ‘Jan’ Mustafa was found murdered in a Canning Town flat in 2019, along with Henriett Szucs. Both were killed by Zahid Younis who was sentenced to life in 2021.
Since her cousin’s death, Mrs. Hussein has been a vocal advocate for change. “All killers should get a minimum of 25 years,” she said, expressing hope that the memorial plaques, referred to as ‘black and blue’ for their association with domestic violence, will prompt Parliament to revise outdated laws.
According to Killed Women, on average, murderers in the UK who kill in the home get around ten years less prison time before parole than those killed out of home, due to outof-date sentencing rules.
They are calling on the new Labour Government to fulfill the Conservative promise to update these laws.
The group says that given Labour’s mass early release scheme it’s crucial now more than ever to campaign for a change in the law.
Each bespoke plaque will include the woman’s name, their life span, and then the words: ‘Killed here’, the sentence given, and ‘Murder is murder, change the law’.
One woman is killed every three days by a man in the UK – most are murdered by people they know, and the murders are generally horrific in nature. However, the final blow for families is in sentencing, when the criminal justice system deems their loved ones’ lives are worth ten years less.
Julie Devey for Killed Women said the symbolism of the blue plaques was important to recognise the tragic loss of women’s lives and to reinforce the message that justice should be served – “Murder is murder, change the law.”
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