Primary school teacher Sabina Nessa was on her way to a first date when she was killed, it has emerged.
She was on what should have been a five minute walk from her home in Greenwich, southeast London, before her suspected murder on Friday night.
The 28-year-old teacher’s body was found at 5.30pm the following day by a dog walker, hidden under a pile of leaves in Cator Park, Kidbrooke.
Sabina had arranged to meet her date at The Depot bar in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke Village, but never made it.
Detectives say she left her home just before 8.30pm and that no one reported her missing when she didn’t show up to the pub.
They are investigating whether Sabina was murdered by a stranger and have raised concerns the killer could strike again.
A friend told MailOnline: ‘Sabina was going on a date on Friday night when she left her flat. It was a first date. She was going to meet this guy in the local pub, The Depot.
‘I don’t know whether they knew each other before or they had met online but I know it was a first date.’
One friend said she was ‘very excited, but not nervous’ about meeting her date.
Another told the Sun: ‘She was looking forward to it a lot. This is so tragic. It’s awful. She was the nicest woman in the world. It’s left us all heartbroken.’
Pals described Sabina as a ‘lovable person’ who loved children and wanted to some day travel to Dubai to teach.
Investigators say they are keeping an ‘open mind’ as to the motive behind Sabrina’s killing.
Expressing concerns of a repeat attack, Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry said: ‘It’s always a concern that it may happen, but that’s not something that we have any intelligence on at this time.’
Much like the murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard, who was kidnapped in south London in March, Sabina’s death has fuelled backlash over the safety of women on London’s streets.
Campaign group Our Streets Now said: ‘It’s why we don’t walk where we want, when we want.
‘It’s why we tense at the sound of a car pulling up, or of a man crossing the street towards us.
‘It’s why one in five girls have avoided their place of education. Please, stop telling us we’re overreacting.
‘Sabina Nessa, Sarah Everard, Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman. And these are just the names that we remember.
‘Male violence is killing us. It’s restricting our right to be free and equal citizens. We need change, now.’
But Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry insisted: ‘The streets are safe for women, I’d like to reassure the public around that, I’d like to make sure that people are free to walk around free from fear and my officers will make sure that that can take place.’
Paying tribute on social media last night, Sabina’s sister wrote: ‘My beautiful, talented & caring sister. My inspiration to always put myself first & never let anybody put me down.
‘Never in my life did I or my sisters or my mum or dad think this could happen to us. May Allah grant her Jannah. Ameen #SabinaNessa’.
Her cousin, Zubel Ahmed, described her as the ‘most caring person, kindest, sweetest girl you could meet.’
He told the BBC: ‘She’s just got a beautiful soul, she’s a caring person, she’s left behind two cats. When we were at her house the other day the cats were looking for her.
‘As strange as that sounds it’s just her nature to care for things, to care for people, for animals, and she’s just going to be truly missed.’
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