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Original poster

The Murder of Julia James

130 replies

saraclara · 02/05/2021 09:57

Why is it getting no real publicity? Why aren't all the women who wanted to hold a vigil for Sarah Everard equally angered and wanting to do something about Julia James' murder? Where is Kate with her posy?

I got pretty much ripped apart back then when I questioned why specifically Sarah Everard's murder got the attention it did when others hadn't.

Both murders seem to have been of women minding their own business and attacked by strangers.

I still can't help feeling that the difference in media and the public's reaction is based on entirely superficial differences of age, attractiveness and...I don't know? What else?

Many people go missing. Many women are murdered. Obviously my heart breaks for what happened to Sarah Everard, but why are other murdered women not given that same attention? The anger then made people feel so strongly that they defied covid regulations to make their point. But I suspect barely anyone could come up with Julia James' name

OP posts:
Original poster
saraclara · 02/05/2021 11:24

@tecatea

Obviously what happened to both women is awful but the thing with Sarah is she was very representative of people who live in her area lifestyle wise & murder by a stranger is not meant to happen to those people.
?

I'm sure that Juia was entirely representative of the people who live in her area. And murder by a stranger isn't meant to happen to ANYONE.

OP posts:
saraclara · 02/05/2021 11:27

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Original poster
saraclara · 02/05/2021 11:29

It would be great if the anger that was very rightly aroused by Sarah Everard's death, was continued and the momentum kept up to demonstrate just how vulnerable women are when walking alone. But the whole thing has just evaporated, and no one seems to care about this case.

So yes, it DOES seem that the people who were angry about SE's murder don't care about this one.

OP posts:
Pumperthepumper · 02/05/2021 11:30

I'm suggesting that there's no motivation or interest in the murder of middle-aged woman outside London. And to be honest I think it's pretty bad taste to only care about photogenic young people.

What have you done to make sure people know about it? Have you arranged a vigil?

There was a massive amount of publicity about Sarah Everard before her murderer was identified. And the protests weren't about him being a police officer, they were about women's right to be safe walking alone at night. This poor woman wasn't even walking alone at night. We're not safe walking in daylight.

And have you arranged any marches?

the80sweregreat · 02/05/2021 11:32

Women are not really safe anywhere. I was brought up to be so wary and I do not like bring out on my own or after dark especially now I'm older and I can't run that fast.
It is a sad state of affairs snd this to happen in broad daylight is another worrying factor. I hope the police do find who did this.
I agree that women over a certain age are also invisible to society as well but I can't see this changing anytime soon.

Pumperthepumper · 02/05/2021 11:32

@saraclara

It would be great if the anger that was very rightly aroused by Sarah Everard's death, was continued and the momentum kept up to demonstrate just how vulnerable women are when walking alone. But the whole thing has just evaporated, and no one seems to care about this case.

So yes, it DOES seem that the people who were angry about SE's murder don't care about this one.

That’s not true though, and it’s such a misogynistic thing to say. Women are furious they still aren’t safe going about their daily life - you seem to be suggesting it’s because women only care about looks that they gave a shit about Sarah Everard.
Magicpaintbrush · 02/05/2021 11:32

I agree that it is strange that one crime garners more press interest than another when essentially what has happened to both women is so similar.

And I agree with the poster above who mentioned Lin and Megan Russell - that was one of my first thoughts when I heard about Julia James. There has always been something of a question mark over whether they jailed the right person for the murder in the 90s, and this recent murder is very reminiscent of that. It did make me question whether they originally arrested the right person or whether it was a miscarriage of justice and the murderer is still at large. But then again, no doubt there is more than one person capable of such an atrocity. It angers me that women can't feel safe doing something as basic as going for a walk. Then again there was a story in the news recently about a poor man in his 60s who got stabbed to death while out on a ramble, I think in the Peak District or similar, by a young man who had gone out looking for someone to kill. It is frightening.

FlyingBurrito · 02/05/2021 11:34

It's an interesting question

I think there are a few factors, the period that Sarah was missing, the friends concerted awareness raising campaign, the demographic of the area it happened in, less going on because of lockdown

I think Sarah's case is the outlier, women are murdered everyday and there isn't Nationwide attention.

I've read quite a lot of articles about Julia but if there's no suspect there's a limit to how long it will stay in the news.

@Kinsters it has been reported in The Guardian online edition, I don't know about the paper version

Original poster
saraclara · 02/05/2021 11:40

@FlyingBurrito

It's an interesting question

I think there are a few factors, the period that Sarah was missing, the friends concerted awareness raising campaign, the demographic of the area it happened in, less going on because of lockdown

I think Sarah's case is the outlier, women are murdered everyday and there isn't Nationwide attention.

I've read quite a lot of articles about Julia but if there's no suspect there's a limit to how long it will stay in the news.

@Kinsters it has been reported in The Guardian online edition, I don't know about the paper version

Yes, I think you're right that Sarah Everard's case is the outlier, and you make some good points.

It just makes me sad that so many women are invisible when it comes to murders. And though it's unfair of me (and I hope I've made it abundantly clear that I think what happened to SE was horrific and terribly sad) this almost ignored case seems all the more wrong when someone else's murder got so much publicity, emotion and hand-wringing.

OP posts:
TerryWoganFanGirl · 02/05/2021 11:45

This case got virtually no coverage at all, young girl like Sarah but black. Very sad www.google.co.uk/amp/s/meaww.com/amp/blessing-olusegun-mysterious-disappearance-black-girl-sarah-everard-internet-reactions

alpinia · 02/05/2021 11:47

This incident was headline news on every news website I looked at, including the Daily Mail.

I agree to some extent with your point, but Sarah Everard was also missing for quite some time before being found, and the police officer arrest kept it in the news. Her friends also did a very good job of 'marketing' the issue.

This incident, which is incredibly sad and worrying, was over as soon as it started as the poor woman was found deceased without ever getting to the stage of being reported missing.

There is more difference between the cases than age.

MotherOfGodWeeFella · 02/05/2021 11:49

@Blondiney

Perhaps people became more invested in the Everard case because it started out as a missing person?
Yes - I think that has a lot to do with it.
PurpleWh1teGreen · 02/05/2021 11:50

@tecatea

Obviously what happened to both women is awful but the thing with Sarah is she was very representative of people who live in her area lifestyle wise & murder by a stranger is not meant to happen to those people.
And the same for Julia.

I admit I’m a similar age and a dog Walker, but no one should get their head caved in on a country walk.

ssd · 02/05/2021 11:52

You are absolutely right @saraclara

I didnt compare the two before.

tecatea · 02/05/2021 12:01

I'm sure that Juia was entirely representative of the people who live in her area. And murder by a stranger isn't meant to happen to ANYONE.

It's not my view!

Sarah lived in an area surrounded by people like her, with the same jobs, the same age, the same walk etc, they wrongly or rightly don't think murder by a stranger happens to them. That's my point!

tecatea · 02/05/2021 12:03

The OP asked why Sarah had more traction & my post explained one of the reasons why. Hence all the "I am Sarah" boards at the vigil.

Boood · 02/05/2021 12:04

The way I saw Julia James’ death reported was “body of police officer found”, with the implication that she had been killed in the course of her job. Which of course is is still terrible and shocking and tragic, but doesn’t quite have the same connotations of ordinary women not being safe out on the streets. And I think there is some truth in the fact that as Sarah Everard was originally a missing person, there was the additional element of hope that she’d turn up safe and well, and people were already invested by the time her body was found.

tecatea · 02/05/2021 12:06

And I think there is some truth in the fact that as Sarah Everard was originally a missing person, there was the additional element of hope that she’d turn up safe and well, and people were already invested by the time her body was found.

Yes this is also true. I live very close & there was lots of effort to try & find her.

78percentLindt · 02/05/2021 12:12

I was perturbed by a comment on the news that Julia had been working on domestic violence cases recently I couldn't help wondering if her murder was connected to her work.

VladmirsPoutine · 02/05/2021 12:21

There was definitely a different tone in the reporting. I hate to be crass but I do think there's a heavy influence of pretty, young, blonde woman vs middle-aged dog walker.

Tuesdaysintheazores · 02/05/2021 12:23

There could be a reason for the less publicity for instance if it was linked to her work or the suspect is known to her, which is sadly often the case. If it's murder by a stranger, as pp has said, shockingly similar to the Lin Russell murder and nearby location wise

RosieLeaLovesTea · 02/05/2021 12:24

I was thinking exactly the same thing about the media coverage and public response.

Fnib · 02/05/2021 12:31

I said exactly same to DH when I first read about it. For some reason some people/some causes capture the public's imagination in the way that others don't.
There seems to be a 'cause de jour' which overrides other things.
Rest in peace Julia Flowers 💕

tecatea · 02/05/2021 12:32

Think of the two sisters, Nicole & Bibaa, I remember commenting on a thread on here after it happened as I was so surprised by the lack of traction. It's highly unusual to be killed by a stranger for no reason particularly when not alone & for the killer to still "be at large" & for it not to be front page news. I'm still surprised by that tbh.

museumsandgalleries666 · 02/05/2021 12:38

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