A few weeks ago, a 33-year-old woman disappeared in London. Days later, her body was found in a woodland area. Her name was Sarah Everard.

Many people may ask: What is new about this story? Sadly, tragedies like this are often reported in the news or in Italian television programmes such as Chi l’ha visto?.

But that is exactly the problem.

How have we become so used to hearing about such atrocities?

For me, someone who has lived in the United Kingdom for about seven years, this news was deeply shocking. Maybe I have been naive, or simply very fortunate until now, but here I have always felt safe walking alone at any time of the day or night. The streets felt busy, well-lit, and monitored by cameras and police.

But in this case, the person responsible for Sarah’s murder was himself a police officer: Wayne Couzens, who was serving with the Metropolitan Police.

That fact alone shook my sense of trust.

It made me question many things. Are journalists and institutions always doing their duty? Or are some conversations avoided because they might create fear or panic among people?

A few days later, hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square and other places to protest against violence towards women and to remember Sarah. Many were simply asking for something very basic: the right to feel safe.

All of this made the confidence I once felt suddenly collapse.

It brought me back to memories of when I lived in Italy. I remember sometimes feeling afraid walking alone, feeling observed, and even choosing more masculine clothing as a way to protect myself.

Sarah’s story touched me deeply because she was doing something completely ordinary. She was simply walking home in comfortable sports clothes — exactly the way many of my friends and I walk through the city.

Thinking about this makes me freeze.

Because if a police officer approached me, I would instinctively stop and trust him.

More than anything, I want to feel free. I want to live in a society where we are treated first and foremost as human beings. This is not only about feminism, gender equality, or slogans like “girl power.” It is about something even more fundamental: the dignity of life.

Life is the most precious of all treasures. Yet we often take it for granted instead of celebrating it and being grateful for every moment and every breath we have on this Earth.

I do not want to live in fear.

I want to continue believing in a world where everyone feels safe, respected, appreciated, and accepted — regardless of gender, religion, social status, or skin colour. These are the values on which the country I chose to live in was built.

I want to keep trusting.
I want to keep dreaming.

And I want to keep walking through the streets freely and peacefully, just as Sarah did that night before she disappeared.

Rest in peace.

#SarahEverard