Trigger warning: this article discusses sexual assault.
The world has witnessed a shocking and heartbreaking story, the Sarah Everard story, underlying a crucial problem we have yet to fix, which is violence against women. What happened to Sarah Everard is unfortunately one of the many incidents that happen to women on a regular basis. This incident has left many women on edge, and, quite frankly, fearful for their own lives. This murder has impacted not only the family and friends of Sarah Everard, but the entire globe, deteriorating the mental health of many.
What happened to Sarah Everard?
On the 3rd of March, Sarah Everard had visited a friend residing in Clapham, an area in South London, and was walking back to her house at night alone. How was she to know that a decision to walk home taken in one split second would lead to her being kidnapped and brutally killed?
Sarah Everard was ripped away from her family in a horrific way, and this goes to show how the murder of women is still an issue we need to address. It is a right that women should have – to be able to walk on the streets without fearing for their lives. The Sarah Everard story is one of many that threatens women, their sense of safety, and their sense of identity, and that is not okay.
Women’s Mental Health & The Murder of Everard
The abduction and murder of Sarah Everard is not an easy pill to swallow. Many have been psychologically triggered by this event, understandably so. A couple of points outlined explain how you can take care of yourself mentally –
- Try transforming your overwhelmed feelings into compassion. You could use your sadness as a way to feel with others going through the same thing.
- Allow yourself to feel it all. Take a few breaths with your shoulders relaxed.
- Zoom in on what you can do rather than what you aren’t able to. What happened to Sarah Everard is something that should have never happened but focusing on what could have happened will do you no good. What you can do is trying your best to help your community.