Zara Aleena was on her way home in Ilford, east London, in the early hours of Sunday when she was attacked.
28 June 2022
Tributes have been paid to a 35-year-old law graduate who was murdered on her way home from a night out.
Zara Aleena was attacked by a stranger as she walked along Cranbrook Road in Ilford, east London, towards Gants Hill station in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.
On Tuesday Ms Aleena’s friend Sophie told BBC News: “She was just a kind soul, the sweetest girl, she could never harm a fly.
“Always polite, always bubbly, the sweetest girl that you could ever meet really. So much going for her.”
Following on from an arrest, Chief Supt Stuart Bell updates on the tragic murder of Zara Aleena in #Ilford.
Thank you to the officers and public who have helped in this fast-paced investigation.
📞 Incident room – 0208 345 3775
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 27, 2022
According to reports, Ms Aleena had just passed her law degree and was working as an administrative officer at the Royal Courts of Justice.
Her profile on the career networking site LinkedIn said: “My excellent interpersonal skills mean that I like people and they like me. I have strong organisational skills. Additionally, I bring energy, enthusiasm and ambition to any job role that I am in.”
Another friend, Nadia, told The Times: “She was a very gentle soul. She was very helpful to everyone and her neighbours.”
Police said Ms Aleena suffered multiple injuries and it appeared no weapon had been used in the attack.
Figures from the Metropolitan Police show that 14 of the 44 victims of suspected homicides so far in 2022, not including Ms Aleena’a death, were women.
In 11 of these cases the suspect is a relative or friend of the victim, another died in a house fire, and the relationship between suspect and victim in the remaining two is not yet clear.
It is rare for a victim to be murdered in the street by a stranger – according to the Office for National Statistics in the year to the end of March 2021 in England and Wales 6% of female victims and 18% of males were killed by strangers.
