Murder of Julia James - where are the vigils ?

She was killed less than 3 miles from where Lynn & Megan Russell were murdered in Chillenden in the 90s. Obviously the presence of children amplify things massively but there doesn’t seem to be that same air of general caution locally that I remember every woman feeling back then. I don’t know if that’s because people are making assumptions as to who is responsible because of her job, or because it’s not been publicised as much as their attack was.

I hope her poor family don’t have to wait long for justice for her.

She sounds like she was a wonderful woman. This is so sad and anger-enducing.

There are women who campaign remember all murdered women: Karen Ingala Smith and Henny Beaumont spring to mind. But they are bad, according to some.

As someone who has lived and worked in Central London I think the murder of Sarah Everard struck a chord for a few reasons.
First because while you're always aware that the the risk of some crimes, ie having your phone or bike stolen or being mugged, is probably higher than in many other parts of the country, I've always felt (perhaps naively) less at risk of rape, murder etc when out and about at night at the centre of the city.
When I first moved to London I found it incredibly liberating to be able to walk about after dark and in the evening without real fear - due to the fact that there's always people about even in the early hours.
I suspect many women feel the same. So the Sarah Everard murder was a real wake-up call, more so because she did absolutely everything right and disappeared from a busy street relatively early in the evening.
Second, the disappearance occurred to someone of around the same age, background and living in the same area as many women working in the London/national media. They or their (male journo partners) identified themselves instantly with her. I'm not a journo but my first reaction when I saw the pic of SE outside Sainsbury's was to be convinced that I knew her in some way or bumped into her at a party - although I hadn't. I saw myself reflected there too.
3rd - SE's friends were very savvy with social media during her disappearance.
4th - the case itself and the allegations against a policeman

Some cases attract more attention than others. The stabbing of 14 year old Kate Bushell whilst walking a neighbour's dog close to her home attracted a bit of attention at the time and again when Lyn Bryant was similarly murdered about a year later. It seems highly likely the murders were linked. But no national outcry and soon forgotten about in the absence of progress identifying the perpetrator/s.

I know both areas where these murders happened and can't imagine the pain of finding my daughter in the way Kate's father found her. All compounded by never getting resolution through apprehension of the person who did such a terrible crime.

I just hope the investigation into Julia's murder is professional and successful and the perpetrator is apprehended and given a suitable sentence in the end.

www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/kate-bushell-lyn-bryant-helen-2111434

RIP Julia. I can't imagine the pain her loved ones are feeling. I hope absolutely everything is thrown into finding out who did it and they are brought to justice.

I long for the day women can be safe going about their lives. I hope we are working towards that reality but fear it will never come.

I really want to know whether Julia James’ work with domestic violence made her the target of an abusive man.

Focus on the questions around her death, her work, women as targets, not carping on.

RIP Julia.

I live close to where Sarah Everard lived.

The publicity was high because she was missing for a week and posters were everywhere, so there was a big build up. Many people were searching, looking for her hat when out walking in parks and commons, so felt very invested.

Secondly there was a very strong reaction because women locally were told by police to not go out alone, not go out after dark etc, and there was a lot of talk about ‘why was she walking alone at 9pm’ that really got people’s backs up. For being victim blamey, and for ignoring the practicality if so many women’s lives.

That’s why I joined the vigil.

Be careful with ‘what aboutery’: it can sound snide, and as if the death of the person who was the subject of a vigil didn’t deserve that attention.

Highlight the death of a woman, don’t diss the reaction to a previous death.

RIP Julia.

The vigil for Sarah Everard was conceived by local women and because Clapham is in London, local = a large number of women. But then the hype and scale got hugely inflated by Reclaim these streets and Sisters Uncut who, like the media, probably are more interested in young white women. Sisters Uncut want to defund the police and release trans prisoners even when they've committed sex offenses. They rely on a somewhat privileged and naive audience for that shit.

Anyway looked at the article, paywalled. By India Knight. Who has stood by her convicted sex offender husband. Is she the best person to write an article like that? So is this a 'women are responsible for men's actions' point? Am sure you didn't mean it that way, but could you explain what you did mean NiceGerbil

I was going to say that telling women off (can't think of a better word!) for not holding vigils feels like a bit of a misdirection.

What we need is for the police to up their game with VAWG including sex offences.
How many men hold vigils for women? Isn't this a societal issue, not 'just' a women's issue?

Anyway looked at the article, paywalled. By India Knight. Who has stood by her convicted sex offender husband. Is she the best person to write an article like that?

I get why you're asking but I think the question is back to front.

The response in the media and then the vigil was the outlier.

2-3 women are killed a week and we don't usually hear anything at all about most of them.

With Sarah everard she first was missing so there was an appeal for people who might have seen her. The media picked it up and reported on it a lot probably because she was white young good looking educated etc. There have been plenty of studies showing that certain types of people get more press attention than others.

Then after a few days, when the fact she was missing had been in mainstream news, they found her. The media interest and reporting continued.

I don't think speculating that Julia James has not had vigils etc because she is with the police etc is the right direction. Her death has been reported a lot in mainstream media and it would be wrong to think no one cares.

Most women don't get reported on at all.

The other point with Sarah everard which has been mentioned is the fact that a police officer was arrested. Turns out he had carried out a sex offence a few days before which had massive escalation sex offender written all over it. I have lived in met areas for more than 40 years. They have a list of uselessness, arse covering and scandal as long as your arm. Warboys. Reid. Sapphire unit. Over and over they fail women and girls badly.

In the Sarah everard case a retired copper came on telly and said oh indecent exposure we're not really interested in that.

He exposed himself in a Macdonald's in front of multiple staff and customers. His car was parked outside. The police were called and the numberplate provided. I doubt they did anything more than file it. The boldness of that incident should have raised interest.

And then of course he turned out to be one of theirs.

Many women are angry. The Sarah everard media interest and then vigil were due to a mix of things but were very unusual.

Most women who are killed we never read about or see reported on the news.

There's an article in the Times about this: Another woman killed — but no vigil this time

Will we remember Julia James’s? The 53-year-old police community support officer was murdered last week in woodland in Kent a few hundred yards from her home. Her Jack Russell was guarding her body when she was found. She’d worked for the police for 15 years, latterly in the domestic violence unit, and had been commended for bravery. She had a husband, a daughter, a son and a grandson. No one knows what happened to her, other than that she’d been working from home that day, took her dog for a walk and died from “significant head injuries”. Appealing for witnesses on Friday, Kent police said no motive or suspects had been identified. No doubt local people will lay flowers near the woodland where her life ended, and no doubt residents are saddened and anxious. But where is the outcry? Where is the huge vigil? Will the Duchess of Cambridge come with a posy?

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/another-woman-killed-but-no-vigil-this-time-2crd9z5p7

And they have another article about people reporting that violent dog nappers have been seen in the area.
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/violent-dognappers-reported-months-before-murder-of-pcso-julia-james-fdjq86vrc

Novelusername - hope you are doing okay now.

When I was attacked it was in the local paper and they changed my age to make me younger, I can only presume to make it a 'sexier' story. The press are fucking evil as far as I am concerned. RIP to this wonderful woman.

it may not be a random stranger
RIP Julia
we can remember her
we can do a vigil

Part of her work was supporting women survivors of domestic violence. I am sure I saw one paper sort of infer there might be a link.

But whoever is responsible, the idea that a woman cant take her dog for a walk in are area she is familiar with is really upsetting.

It just as bad whether it is a random stranger or some connected with her work.

A lot of women see themselves in Julia James. She took her dog out for a walk at 3pm.

In a poignant statement last night, Julia's family said: 'There are no words to adequately describe the void left in our lives by the death of our mum.

'She was so much to so many people; a wife, mother, daughter, nanny, sister and a friend.

'Mum was fiercely loyal, she loved with her whole heart and nothing was too much trouble for the people she cared about

I think a lot of women on Twitter/Instagram saw themselves in Sarah Everard, woman in her early thirties walking home in London. And social media is a big factor in getting things 'done' these days.

People are always more vocal about people they relate to aren't they?

I think the fact that it was a policeman who allegedly killed Sarah was the thing that made it particularly headline hitting news.

Sarah everard I think had gained media traction with her disappearance, young woman, walking home, just disappeared.

That story made mainstream news, people and police out searching etc.

Then she was found, then it was a PC as suspect. All feeding into the frenzy.

A woman found dead, not such big news.

I agree, many people are murdered and we don’t hear about it.
RIP

I thought that the outrage was because a policeman (allegedly) abducted and killed her - its a very specific case. Yes this new murder is just as appalling, but possibly more of a story we've heard before, random stranger in the woods. Mind you, I bet it turns out she knows her attacker .

Agreed OP. I thought of her this morning when I was walking the dog alone in the forest -- and came across a lone man in full camouflage gear walking towards me .
It's hard not to be cynical about the lack of public outrage about Julia's murder - but then so many women, black teenagers and others are killed and often merit only a few paragraphs in the press.

She seems like she was a lovely person and I feel incredibly sad for her family, friends, colleagues and for all the people she was helping, not to mention her poor dog. If only it could talk!

I'm not sure vigils help anyone though.