The sister of murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa says she will spend the rest of her life wondering how “vile animal” Koci Selamaj could carry out such a “horrific attack” on her.
“How could he do that? How could he hurt my sister?”, Jebina Yasmin Islam said.
“I think that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Selamaj was jailed for life today at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to murdering Ms Nessa as she walked through a London park on 17 September last year.
“Predatory” garage worker Koci Selamaj
Speaking ahead of the sentencing, Ms Islam said her sister was “funny, lovable, caring” and had a good heart.
“She loved fashion. She was a shopaholic. Wardrobes popping at the seams because there were too many clothes.
“She had a love for animals, and also she loved nature”, Ms Islam added.
At the time of her death Ms Nessa had just finished her first year teaching a Year One class at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, a job her sister says she loved.
“She loved teaching and she wanted to make a change to the children’s lives, development, and have a positive impact on them all.
“If this didn’t happen I feel like she would have flourished throughout her whole teaching career.”
Supporters from the Sabina Project outside the Old Bailey
Asked about the impact Ms Nessa’s death has had on her family, Ms Islam said getting the phone call to say her sister had died was “the worst case of a bad dream”.
“My whole world just crumbled down.
“It’s been horrendous. It’s broken us deeply.
“How does a parent accept the fact that their daughter at the age of 28 is no more? How do you accept that?
“Because you can’t and it’s just a bad dream and you just wish that it wasn’t true.”
Ms Islam said her sister’s killing has made her and her sisters “scared” and “paranoid” walking the streets, and she is scared for her daughters’ future.
File photo dated 05/10/21 of people at a vigil for Sabina Nessa at Eastbourne Pier in East Sussex. “Predatory” garage worker Koci Selamaj has pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to murdering the primary school teacher Sabina Nessa. Issue date: Friday Fe
“I feel like there’s such an increase of male violence that if we don’t make a change now it will spiral out of control when they get to their teenage years or when they are heading to adulthood.”
She said the Government needs to do more to tackle violence against women.
“I feel like they are making these speeches but I feel like it kind of fizzles out afterwards. So I think more needs to be done.”