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Editorial boss slams claims over coverage of Nessa and Everard cases

Liz HazeltonAn editorial boss has defended her regional news title’s coverage of the alleged murder of teacher Sabina Nessa.

MyLondon editorial director Liz Hazelton has hit back at claims the case had not been given the same attention by the “mainstream media” as the case of Sarah Everard.

Koci Selamaj, 36, has appeared in court charged with 28-year-old Ms Nessa’s murder after her body was discovered hidden under leaves in South-East London.

Posting on Twitter, Liz said it was “definitely not true” of her site that the case had received less coverage than that of Ms Everard, who was raped and murdered by former Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens in March.

Both cases have opened debates about the safety of women, but claims have been made, such as in an opinion piece on the Open Democracy site, that they have not received equal coverage.

Giving her thoughts on the debate, Liz, pictured, wrote: “There’s been a lot of comment this week about ‘mainstream media’ not giving Sabina Nessa the same attention as Sarah Everard.

“I don’t believe that’s right – and it’s definitely not true for MyLondon. We’ve covered this tragic case from the start with staff on the ground all week.

“It’s easy to overlook the reporters quietly working to find out what has happened, talking to the community and (the most important thing to me) keeping the person who has lost their life at the heart of what we do.

“Sabina Nessa was a young woman who had dedicated her life to teaching others. A daughter, sister, a friend. She was killed minutes from home – and she should have been safe.”

Liz has previously criticised Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services after it found the Met “acted appropriately” at a vigil in Ms Everard’s memory.