The Duchess of Cambridge paid an unannounced visit to South London on Saturday at the memorial held by Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman whose remains were discovered on Friday.
Everard disappeared after leaving a friend’s apartment at around 9:00 pm on March 3. She was reportedly kidnapped and killed by an accused police officer on Friday.
Kate Middleton, 39, visited the memorial set up for Everard in Clapham Common, a neighborhood near her home in Brixton, and where she was last seen before her disappearance.
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“She wanted to pay her respects to Sarah and her family,” a royal source told People. “She remembers what it was like to walk around London at night.”
Middleton stopped in front of the memorial with other women paying homage to Everard, whose case drew international attention.
The murder of the 33-year-old woman has forced many to turn to social media to question why women continue to be threatened by predators and to share personal stories of attacks or their common fears of violence when they return home at night.
“When she disappeared, any woman who ever came home alone at night felt that sense of instinctive and somber recognition,” wrote columnist Gaby Hinsliff in The Guardian. “Steps in a dark street. Keys stuck between your fingers. There, but by the grace of God.”
Officer Wayne Couzens, 48, a member of the London Police’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, was arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder.
He was due to appear in court on Saturday.
Organizers planned an Everard memorial vigil on Saturday, but due to coronavirus restrictions, the ceremony was banned.
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“No woman in London should be unsure on the streets of London and I understand the strength of the feeling that grew after Sarah’s disappearance,” said Metropolitan Police Commander Catherine Roper in a statement on Friday. “As a woman and a police officer, I want nothing more than for women to feel safe and protected by the police.”
“But we need to be clear. Our city is still in a battle with Covid-19, with people continuing to be infected and, unfortunately, losing their lives. Just a few weeks ago, our NHS was at a breaking point, we cannot risk it. undo everything to work to reduce the infection rate “, he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.