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On 26 June 2022, law graduate Zara Aleena, aged 35, was sexually assaulted and murdered by Jordan McSweeney as she was walking home in Ilford, East London, United Kingdom.^[1]^[2] The murder attracted attention after it was discovered McSweeney had committed numerous other offences and should have been recalled to prison.

Zara Aleena 1986-2022

Zara Aleena, described by her family as "the heart" of their lives, was deeply committed to justice and women’s rights. Her aunt, Farah Naz, shared that Aleena had always valued education, despite modest means, and embraced cultural experiences like museums and travel. Known for her strong sense of empathy and compassion, Aleena aspired to make a difference in the lives of others and saw herself as equal, capable, and driven. Her commitment to women's equality inspired her ambition to become a lawyer, a path she pursued with determination.

Following her tragic death, Aleena’s legacy has prompted significant changes in the justice system and society, with new protections introduced to enhance women's safety and raise awareness about issues of violence against women. Her memory has catalyzed reforms, leading to new laws and safety measures that aim to protect lives and encourage a more equitable, safer world.

Aleena had begun working at the Royal Courts of Justice five weeks before her death.^[1]

Murder

Around 2 am on 26 June 2022, Aleena left a bar on Ilford High Street close to Ilford railway station and began walking up Cranbrook Road towards Valentines Park. At the same time, McSweeney had been thrown out of a bar for harassing staff and had subsequently approached several other women. At 2:17am, Aleena was violently attacked by McSweeney, after he had followed two other women, on Cranbrook Road. She was discovered collapsed on a driveway, struggling to breathe, given CPR, and was taken to the Royal London Hospital where she died of her injuries.^[3]

Aftermath

The murder occurred nine days after McSweeney was released from prison on licence, having been jailed for robbery. A subsequent report in The Guardian said an attempt was made to recall him to prison two days before the murder, and suggested he should not have been released in the first place. The Metropolitan Police conducted an internal review after reports were published that McSweeney had been convicted 28 times for 69 earlier offences, including nine separate spells in prison, and ought to have been recalled. McSweeney had also had a history of violence and abuse, and a restraining order was taken out against him in 2021.^[1]^[2] Concern had been raised on 22 June, four days before the murder, after McSweeney failed to show for two appointments. Two days later, the Metropolitan Police attempted to arrest him, but he was not at the address on their records.^[1]

The Chief Inspector of Probation said the failure to assess McSweeney was caused by a lack of probation officers. London was highlighted as particularly problematic, with around half of posts remaining to be filled in some London boroughs.^[2]

On 18 November 2022, in court at the Old Bailey, McSweeney admitted the murder and sexual assault of Zara Aleena via videolink and pleaded guilty to the charges made against him.^[4]^[5]^[6] On 14 December 2022, the judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced McSweeney to life imprisonment with a minimum prison term of 38 years.^[1] McSweeney was also given a four-year term for sexual assault, a sentence that will run concurrently with that served for murder. At sentencing, the judge said she did not believe McSweeney's actions on the night of the killing were an "aberration";^[7] and described McSweeney as "a pugnacious and deeply violent man with a propensity to violence".^[8] During the hearing and at sentencing, McSweeney refused to leave prison to appear before the court;^[9] with his defending barrister, George Carter-Stephenson KC, saying his client "did not want to relive the incident" knowing that CCTV footage would be played at the hearing. In response to McSweeney's refusal to attend, the judge described McSweeney as having "no spine whatsoever".^[8]

In October 2023, McSweeney appealed for a reduction in his prison term.^[10] The original sentence meant he would not become eligible to be considered for parole until 7 August 2059.^[11] At the appeal, McSweeney's barrister Carter-Stephenson KC, said the sentencing judge had misevaluated the "aggravating features" in the case, arguing that although there was an accepted sexual motive to the crime, the murder itself was not premeditated, telling the court "the attack was an opportunistic act rather than anything that was planned in advance."^[10] His barrister also argued that McSweeney's ADHD should have been taken into account when he was sentenced in December 2022.^[10] On 3 November 2023, three court judges at the court of appeal in London ruled that the sentencing judge had imposed too high an “uplift” to the minimum term, reducing the sentence by five years to a minimum term of 33 years.^[12]^[13]^[14] The revised sentence set a new parole eligibility date of 25 October 2053.^[15]

In January 2023, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak said the murder was a "terrible crime", and announced the government would take urgent action to review how McSweeney was incorrectly assessed for medium risk.^[16]

Investigation and Inquest

On 6 July 2022 Coroner Nadia Persaud initiated an investigation and inquest into Aleena's death.^[17]

Following the investigation, Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) implemented several measures to address identified failings, including:

Conducting an urgent review of risk assessment processes
Enhancing the quality of risk assessments
Improving information sharing between prisons and probation supported by a new supervisory role
Introduced training on trauma informed practices and neurodiversity
Establishing regular monitoring and reporting on progress
Deciding against Friday releases for offenders

The Metropolitan Police Service MPS have made the following changes:

Expanding the fugitive team to operate over weekend, utilizing additional intelligence for locating offenders on recall
Assigning daily management of all prison recall cases to the fugitive team when immediate arrests are not possible
Mandating independent risk assessments by the Operations Room
Implementing a protocol to try all known addresses as an initial response to recall
Enhancing briefing procedures for duty chief inspectors on risk management
Appointing a Recall to Prison Locate Officer with additional training