Spray, alarms, defence classes: UK women ‘arm up’ after murders

The shocking killings of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa have prompted a national reckoning on women’s safety in Britain.

London, United Kingdom – Nadia Mohammad was busy at work when she heard the news about Sabina Nessa – the 28-year-old teacher who was killed in a south London park while walking the short, what should have been minutes-long journey, from her home to meet a friend.

“I felt shock and disbelief. That could have been me, it could have been any one of us,” 24-year-old Mohammad, a dental nurse who lives in the English capital, told Al Jazeera.

“It made me realise that I don’t want to feel defenceless in the face of danger. I want to feel empowered to fight back. Even if we never know how we might respond in a situation like that, I just want to train my reflexes so I can defend myself.”