Sarah Everard: Leeds women talk about safety ahead of vigil

A series of events are due to be held in honour of Sarah Everard, whose body was found after she disappeared while walking home.

Though she went missing near her home in south London, the 33-year-old's death has prompted debate around the country about women's safety and going out after dark.

Leeds, where an online vigil is to be held, is among the places where events are planned.

Four women from the city spoke about the changes they want to be made so they can feel safer when they go out at night.

Ellie, 17, a pupil at Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College, said the case had made her think about her own safety, "but it's not something that's new".

"It has just highlighted in the 21st Century, how unsafe women actually are," she said.

"This is something we have had to deal with since primary school, with boys pushing, and people saying, 'oh they are just pushing you because they fancy you, or boys will be boys'.

"Every girl I know has been harassed or assaulted in some way. It's not shocking, it's reality.

"To see change, I would like to see a more open conversation among men. We are the ones who are facing this because we are experiencing it every day of our lives.

"When the men start having that conversation about what can they do to make a woman feel safe, that's something that needs to happen."

Labour Councillor Al Garthwaite was involved in starting the Reclaim the Night movement almost 40 years ago.

The group held its first march in Leeds in November 1977, with similar events in at least 12 towns and cities around England.

It was a response to a string of murders, now known to have been the work of Peter Sutcliffe, dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper at the time.

"But that was not our main motivation," Ms Garthwaite said.

"It was about the fear that every woman felt about going out at night, and the behaviour of men, sexual harassment, groping, unwanted touching, comments, that sort of thing.

"The attitudes that were so prevalent at the time... were totally blaming the woman, as if the man's behaviour was not even talked about.

Ms Garthwaite said research showed most 18 to 24-year-olds said they had experienced sexual harassment from comments, wolf whistles, groping or being coerced into sexual activity.

"This has got to stop. A thing that needs to change is the attitude to women so that women are not looking fearfully over their shoulders.

"We are not being blamed if something happens to us, and that we can feel free and independent citizens, in Leeds and in the world."

Nik Peasgood, from Leeds Women's Aid, said Ms Everard's death had released "an outpouring of pent-up grief and anger and fear".

"People are talking about it, people are listening," she said.

"It's just a very useful conversation, it's just so unfortunate that it is on the back of a a really horrific story.

"As women and girls we are always told what we should and shouldn't do to keep ourselves safe. When are we going to start talking about what men and boys are going to do to keep us safe?

"It's not fair that it is inevitable that something like this should happen to a woman who walks home on her own.

"Although this is very rare, harassment and violence, abuse and rape and fear, isn't rare. So the fear that women and girls might have, this has just reinforced how these things can happen.

"We have got to talk really seriously about how violence against women and girls is disproportionate."

Catheryne Fairburn, a politics student at the University of Leeds, has organised the city's vigil after speaking to friends who shared a "sense of fear" at learning of Ms Everard's disappearance.

Unlike the Reclaim These Streets event on Clapham Common, near Ms Everard's home, which has been subject to court proceedings after police said it would be "unlawful" under covid restrictions , the Leeds vigil will be mostly online.

It will centre on a live-stream from the steps of the university's Parkinson Building, with people encouraged to light candles or leave tributes.

"People will be able to come and leave things as long as they are just dropping by, and we have set up a fundraiser for support against sexual violence against women in Leeds," Ms Fairburn said.

"There are lots of ways women can get involved in honouring the memory of Sarah, and the women who went before her.

"We encourage people to share their stories, to light a candle, to do whatever they can do from wherever they are.

"We want everyone involved in this."

A serving Met officer remains in custody, having been held on suspicion of the Ms Everard's kidnap and murder.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].