We learned quickly that there are many ways to respond to tragedy. Some people focus on the offender. We chose not to. As a family, we made a conscious decision that we would not speak his name publicly. We asked journalists not to use his name unnecessarily. We declined opportunities to work with producers whose primary interest was the horror of the crime rather than the lessons that could be learned from it.
We wanted the focus to remain where it belonged. On Zara. On the women who have lost their lives.
And on the changes needed to prevent future harm.
We also resisted describing him as a monster. His actions were monstrous. But if we call violent men monsters, we risk pretending they have nothing to do with the rest of society. We risk imagining they are somehow different from us and that violence against women is committed only by a handful of evil individuals.
The reality is more uncomfortable.
Violence against women and girls is a societal problem. It requires societal solutions.
We joined the voices of other victims and families who had been speaking about these issues long before Zara was murdered. We did not begin this conversation. We became part of it. Over time, we came to understand that victims have an important role to play. We carry lived experience that statistics alone cannot provide. We can give a human face to policy discussions. We can remind decision-makers that behind every report, every recommendation and every number is a person who was loved and is missed.
We did not choose this role. But having found ourselves in it, we stepped into it.
We met with ministers, commissioners, police leaders, probation officials, local authority leaders and campaigners. We spoke openly about the failures that contributed to Zara's death and the changes needed to prevent future harm.
We shared our experiences with government, including what victim support looked like for our British Asian family and the ways families organise themselves in times of crisis. In our family, it was Zara's aunt who often became the public voice, representing the wider family in conversations with politicians, public bodies and the media.
We met with two Prime Ministers, Justice Ministers, the Home Secretary and other political leaders. We raised concerns about probation, public protection and accountability. We challenged the idea that understaffing should simply be accepted as an explanation for failure. If services are understaffed, then leaders have a responsibility to understand why and to address it.
We raised concerns about what happens after Coroners issue Prevention of Future Deaths reports and questioned who ensures that recommendations are implemented and monitored over time.
We contributed to discussions surrounding victims' rights and joined other bereaved families in helping to shape conversations that informed the Victims and Prisoners Bill.
We reminded leaders who they serve. We reminded organisations who they represent. We asked not only what had gone wrong, but what would change. We also turned towards the public.
Again and again, we saw people come together at vigils and events. We were reminded that attending a vigil is not simply an act of remembrance. It is a statement. A peaceful act of citizenship. A way of saying that what happened matters and that the life lost will not be forgotten. For families, it can also be something else. It can be hope.
Since Zara's murder, we have held four Walk Zara Home vigils. We have supported other bereaved families and stood alongside people who have found themselves in a club none of us ever wished to join.
We have worked with schools, local authorities and community organisations. Through programmes such as Step In, we have supported conversations about bystander action, respect, responsibility and the prevention of violence against women and girls.
We have continued to ask what role citizens can play in creating safer communities. This includes proposals for a Good Samaritan Law, encouraging greater responsibility to report serious concerns or seek help when somebody may be at risk of harm.
More recently, we have sought to encourage men to become more visible allies in challenging violence against women and girls and to use their voices alongside ours.
Throughout this work, we have tried to keep our focus where we believe it belongs: on the lives that have been lost, the families left behind and the changes that can help prevent future harm.
Alongside many others, we carried the baton forward.
And one day, others will carry it after us.