Sabina Nessa’s sister recounts the moment she learned of the murder and backs Sabina’s Law

Four years after Sabina Nessa was murdered near her southeast London home, her sister, Jebina Yasmin Islam, recalls the moment she learned the news and explains why she has turned the grief into a push for tighter sentencing oversight. In a Cosmopolitan interview, Islam describes the shock, denial and the long road to accepting what happened to the primary school teacher, and she outlines her campaign for what she calls Sabina’s Law, aimed at ensuring those convicted of serious crimes face sentencing hearings and face accountability in the process.

The morning of September 19, 2021, began like any other for Islam and her family, but a call from one of her relatives, her husband on the line with someone else, felt off. When she checked her phone, she saw a missed call and understood something was seriously wrong. “That’s when I realised something was wrong,” she said. Her husband told her, in a tone she described as grave, that something had happened to Sabina.

Driven straight to her mother’s house with her husband and children, Islam said she searched for reassurance that her sister was safe, scrolling through online headlines and clinging to the hope that Sabina had simply been out shopping or meeting a friend. “I couldn’t believe it. I had only spoken to her the other day,” she said, recalling how she sobbed and tried to hold on to any sign that this was a mistake. The family’s anxiety intensified as the morning progressed and the family drove to a distance of about an hour, trying to process the unthinkable.

When they arrived at Islam’s mother’s home, detectives delivered the devastating news: Sabina had been attacked just minutes away from where she had planned to walk through a park later that day. Islam described feeling that the world had stopped, collapsing to the floor as she learned the details of the case. She recalled that the park, Cator Park, was a familiar place for Sabina, filled with families and children, which made the news even harder to reconcile with the Sabina they knew.

Koci Selamaj, the man convicted of Sabina’s murder, was arrested days later after police linked him to the crime. Investigators found Sabina’s blood on trainers seized from his home, and the case quickly moved through the courts. In the 2022 trial, prosecutors highlighted elements that suggested premeditation, including Selamaj’s hotel booking earlier on the day of the killing. The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne, near his home, was cited as part of the prosecution’s narrative about his intent that evening. By the time the trial began in February 2022, Selamaj had appeared agitated when meeting his estranged partner near the hotel, according to her testimony.

In police interviews, Selamaj offered no comment when asked about the murder, and CCTV showed him appearing distressed as he faced charges. He later pleaded guilty, and the court subsequently jailed him for life in April of the following year. Islam said the length and intensity of the trial were painful for the family, who felt that the proceedings dragged on while the defendant did not attend some court dates. “How is that okay?” she asked, describing it as a stark contrast to the trauma endured by Sabina’s loved ones.

The case drew public attention beyond the courtroom, culminating in a large vigil in Eastbourne the month after Sabina’s death. Hundreds gathered to pay tribute to the young teacher and to protest violence against women, a response that came amid ongoing debates about women’s safety and policing in the wake of the Sarah Everard case. Islam described addressing the crowd with emotion, saying, “Words cannot describe how we are feeling.” She recalled the sense of being trapped in a nightmare, with family members seeking some sense of justice for Sabina.

During the sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Sweeney addressed Selamaj in absentia, stressing that Sabina’s murder was entirely the defendant’s responsibility and underscoring the broader public concern about women’s safety in urban spaces. He noted that Sabina’s life mattered and that the act was heinous and cowardly, sending a chilling message about the dangers women face when walking home. The court’s remarks were a turning point for families like Sabina’s, who continued to cope with the aftermath of her death while seeking ways to prevent similar violence.

Islam has pushed for Sabina’s Law, a measure she says would require perpetrators of serious crimes to attend sentencing hearings and would impose an additional two years in prison if they fail to participate. She stressed that the aim is not to add punishment for its own sake, but to ensure victims’ families feel heard and part of the process. MPs have expressed agreement with the principle of such a law, though details remain the subject of debate as lawmakers seek to balance victims’ rights with other considerations. Islam said the law would provide meaningful accountability and help families confronted with the unthinkable to gain a sense of closure.

The broader point, she said, is that there are hundreds of families like theirs, and the loss of Sabina has become a catalyst for legislative thinking on how justice systems respond to violent crime. As the four-year mark of Sabina Nessa’s death approaches, Islam remains focused on Sabina’s legacy: to honor her memory through policy changes that she believes will deter violence, reassure families and improve the responsiveness of the justice system. Her story, she says, is a reminder that crime has lasting consequences not only for the individuals involved but for entire communities who must rebuild in the wake of such tragedy.