With respect to Sarah’s friend, she cannot speak to what Sarah would have wanted were she able to tell us - especially after the ordeal she suffered. We don’t know that Helena speaks for the family, and we don’t really know how close she was to Sarah. Violence against women is not a political issue.
What I don’t understand is why she chose to write an article for the notoriously right-wing, racist & misogynist publication that is Spiked if she is against the politicisation of her friend’s death. She could’ve submitted it to anywhere, but she chose Spiked. If you aren’t aware of their political stance, check out some of the other articles on the site. They’re basically like a UK Breitbart. Without linking to to Helena’s most recent FB post as I know it is not allowed, her posts about the vigil seem to focus more on her own distaste for the COVID19 restrictions and lockdown in the UK and annoyance at the ‘liberal elite’.
I have seen many more of Sarah’s friends posting their support of #reclaimthenight and desire for women to feel safer, and support of the women who attended the vigil. In this article in particular her close family expressed their support and thanks for the outpouring of support:
www.thesun.co.uk/news/14338769/sarah-everards-family-call-for-positive-change
“
SARAH Everard’s family yesterday called for her murder to bring positive change in protecting women.
Aunt Andrea said: “It’s not right that women don’t feel safe on the street.”
Andrea Everard said of the crowd: “All they were doing was showing support for Sarah and other women victims of appalling crime.
“I hope Sarah’s death can bring about some positive change.””
I realise this topic has been done to death and I’m sorry to bring it up again, I just couldn’t bear to see people sharing that article from that awful website over and over again all over the place with no context.
It must be incredibly overwhelming for Sarah’s family at the moment, especially given all the media attention. But I think once the dust has settled they will want her passing to mean something, for her legacy to be positive change which prevents other women suffering as she did in the future. That’s all you can really hope for after such a tragic and unnecessary loss of a beautiful young life.