The Duchess of Cambridge today stepped out to pay her tribute to Sarah Everard – a 33 years old Marketing Executive who was murdered by a police officer this week. Catherine brought daffodils from her garden to lay at Clapham. Sarah left her friend’s place after dinner and took her usual route to her home but never made it. The story sounds too familiar and way too common and it’s a very sad and unfortunate state of our society that we are in the 21st century and women are still not safe in this modern world.
The Duchess of Cambridge has paid her respects to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common bandstand pic.twitter.com/fOCDsV8SuR
— Thomas Newton (@SkyTNewton) March 13, 2021
The Duchess of Cambridge, whose pre-royal life had gone through a long period of harassment by male photographers must be feeling sad that women out there are still not safe. Sarah’s only fault was that she was a woman. Kensington Palace said,
‘The Duchess of Cambridge remembers what it was like to walk around London at night before she was married and wanted to pay her respects to the family and to Sarah’.
Hundreds of people today defied the lockdown rule and gathered around to pay tribute under the theme “Reclaim the Streets’ at Clapham Common where a vigil was supposed to be organized to mourn the death of a bright woman whose life was cut short tragically. Sarah was last seen there before disappearing on Wednesday night. Her boyfriend reported about it the next day when she never came to see him.
The Duchess of Cambridge has come to pay her respects in Clapham following the death of Sarah Everard. #SarahEverard #Clapham #Breaking pic.twitter.com/aytKJZU7fI
— Frankie McCamley (@Frankie_Mack) March 13, 2021
A day later the Scotland Yard confirmed human remains found in Kent belonged to marketing executive Ms. Everard. A serving police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, was charged with kidnap and murder.
The footage that arrived from the evening has shown how badly Metropolitan police had handled the situation. The police were seen dragging and handcuffing women, protesting for their lives, and mourning the death of a fellow woman, brutally. The calls for more protective and active laws are coming from across the nation.
Catherine’s visit has brought all sorts of attention and people are having both good and bad opinions about the visit, some praising it and some criticizing it. But this issue is neither political nor royal. A woman lost her life just because a man chose to play with it. We deserve a safer world and men in our society have an equal role to play. If a royal paying a private visit during the lockdown is going to bring the much-needed change and make the matter of women’s safety a much-discussed topic then be it. Till then we have to be our own guards.
Rest in Peace Sarah!