Merton Council’s Cabinet Member for Partnerships, Public Safety and Tackling Crime, Councillor Agatha Mary Akyigyina OBE, said: “The tragic death of Sarah Everard on March 3, 2021, and the subsequent conviction for her murder of a serving Metropolitan Police officer shocked the community. 

“It highlighted the fears that women and girls live with as they go about their daily business and the precautions they routinely take to try and stay safe, for example walking along well-lit streets rather than taking a shortcut down a dark alleyway.  

“The council is committed to tackling violence against women and girls both on the streets and in their homes through initiatives including the One Stop Shop which gives victims of domestic violence a safe and confidential space to report abuse and the Ask for Angela scheme, which we were the first London borough to roll out in our pubs and bars. 

“However, this is not simply about highlighting how to report crime or installing more street lights – it is about the shift which is needed in society where everyone calls out the unacceptable behaviour perpetrated towards women and girls by some men.”