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Home secretary to meet family of murdered student

Squire family Libby SquireSquire family
Student Libby Squire went missing in January 2019

The home secretary has agreed to meet the family of a student murdered in Hull.

Libby Squire was raped and murdered by Pawel Relowicz in January 2019.

It emerged Relowicz, who was jailed for at least 27 years, had previously committed a string of sex crimes against other women.

James Cleverly will meet with Miss Squire's mother, Lisa Squire, to discuss issues around indecent exposure, which she claimed was "endemic".

Family Handout/PA Wire Sarah EverardFamily Handout/PA Wire
Sarah Everard was abducted, raped and murdered by off-duty police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021

Hull North Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson highlighted the case of Libby Squire during a House of Commons discussion.

It followed publication of the initial findings into the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021.

Ms Everard was abducted, raped and murdered by off-duty Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens.

During the debate, Ms Johnson asked Mr Cleverly about the issue of indecent exposure which was highlighted in the report, and which Libby's mother has been campaigning on.

"In my own constituency we had the horrific case of Libby Squire who was raped and murdered by a man who had been stalking and roaming the streets of Hull for 18 months prior to murdering Libby, exposing himself, acts of voyeurism," said Ms Johnson

"People didn't report it because they thought the police would not take it seriously.

She added: "I wondered whether the home secretary might meet with Lisa Squire?"

Maria Unger/PA Diana Johnson in the House of CommonsMaria Unger/PA
Hull North MP Diana Johnson asked the home secretary to meet with Libby Squire's mother

Mr Cleverly agreed to meet with the Squire family to discuss the issue.

He said: "There needs to be a cycle of increased confidence.

"The sad truth is that often when we see reports of serious sexual violence that you look back through the case history and you can see plenty of examples of criminality leading up to that,

"We do actually need to take this seriously."

On 21 February, Lisa Squire told MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee that non-contact sexual offences, including voyeurism and indecent exposure, needed to be treated as "serious crimes".

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