At least 52 women in the UK have been killed by men this year

At least 52 women in the UK this year have been killed by men or in cases where a man is the primary suspect, according to a report compiled by Karen Ingala Smith, who runs the Counting Dead Women blog.

Since January this year a number of women have been killed by men including Ashley Wadsworth, Sabita Thanwani, and Emma Baillie. Within the list Karen includes the age of the women, the injuries they sustained, who was responsible for their murder, and links to news stories of their deaths. The women range in age from 19 to 89 years old.

The latest woman sadly added to the list is 35-year-old Zara Aleena who was found dead with extensive head injuries in east London in the early hours of Sunday morning. 29-year-old Jordan McSweeney has since been charged with her murder, and attempted rape and robbery.

Zara had a law degree from the University of Westminster and was planning to be a solicitor, she had previously worked resettling refugees. Earlier today her family released a statement saying she had the most caring heart and was ready to make a family.

They said: “She was in the heart of her community, 10 minutes from home. Zara was happy and at a point in her life when her joy was radiating and blossoming.

“She was ready to make a family of her own. Her sense of justice and fairness led her to a life of giving and caring for others – supporting refugees fleeing violence, giving voice to those who had less power.

“She had that special habit of noticing others in need and always put their needs on her agenda. A carefree spirit, with the most caring heart.”

The Counting Dead Women blog has been counting the number of women killed by men since 2012 and was widely shared following the murder of Sarah Everard, when it was revealed 125 more women had been killed by men since Sarah’s death.

At the time Karen Ingala Smith told the Independent: “I don’t want to demean what happened to Sarah Everard, but she has been elevated more than other victims.

“It is the young, pretty professionals who are killed by a stranger who get the attention from the media.”

Over the years the blog has attracted a number of comments with many people thanking Karen for including the name of every woman, as one commenter said: “These women deserve to be named and remembered.”

Featured image credit via Met Police

Related stories recommended by this writer:

•Arrest made following murder of 19-year-old London uni student in Clerkenwell

•Sabina Nessa was killed five minutes from her house, Metropolitan Police reveal

•A lot of promises were made after Sarah Everard’s death, but what has actually changed?