Zara Aleena Murder
(Picture: John Dunne/PA)The family of a 35-year-old aspiring lawyer killed after a stranger attack in Ilford, east London have paid an emotional tribute to her saying she was “everybody’s friend”.
Zara Aleena was assaulted walking along Cranbrook Road, towards Gants Hill station in Ilford, east London on Sunday morning. She died later in hospital.
Her family, in a statement released by police on Wednesday morning, said the last few days had been “shocking and unimaginable”.
“Our loss is irreparable and the void feels insurmountable but the warmth and kindness that our community has shown is testament to the power of Zara’s spirit. Her life has been stolen from us. She has been stolen from us all.”
They said Ms Aleena had recently started working for the Crown Prosecution Service but was also a carer for her mother and grandmother and that “caring for others came so naturally to her”.
“Zara was friendly, she was everybody’s friend. She was pure of heart.
“She was a joy to all of us, her sparkling eyes and the curly, jet-black hair. Her glorious laughter and her sweet, smiling voice. Her tiny frame embodied a passionate spirit and indomitable energy.
“Zara was brought up by the whole of our family. She was our love in human form.”
Ms Aleena studied law at the University of Westminster and, according to her family, had completed her Legal Practice Course so that she could practise as a solicitor.
“She only recently started working for the Crown Prosecution Service, to complete her 2-year work placement in order to become a fully qualified solicitor.
The family said at the age of five she said she was going to be a lawyer.
“‘Nobody worked harder than Zara’ is what we heard from all who knew her. Zara was happy and at a point in her life when her joy was radiating and blossoming.
“She was fierce: she didn’t just survive, she thrived.
“Her sense of justice and fairness led her to a life of giving and caring for others – supporting refugees fleeing violence, giving voice to those who had less power. She had that special habit of noticing others in need and always put their needs on her agenda. A carefree spirit, with the most caring heart.”
The family said she was “ready to make a family of her own”.
The statement also alluded to the fact Ms Aleena was walking alone when she was attacked.
“She walked everywhere,” they said. “She put her party shoes in a bag and donned her trainers. She walked. Zara believed that a woman should be able to walk home. Now, her dreams of a family are shattered, her future brutally taken.
“Sadly, Zara is not the only one who has had her life taken at the hands of a stranger. We all know women should be safe on our streets. She was in the heart of her community, ten minutes from home.
We must prevent and stop violence against women and girls.”
Jordan McSweeney, 29, will appear in custody at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with murder, attempted rape and robbery.
