Sabita Thanwani. Her family feel ‘extremely disapsansointed and let down’ by the sentence

THE family of a student who died after being stabbed repeatedly in her halls of residence have launched a charity to ensure her death was not in vain.

Sabita Thanwani was murdered in Sebastian Street, Clerkenwell, in March 2022 by Maher Maaroufe who was sentenced to an indefinite hospital stay at the Old Bailey on Monday.

A statement from the family said: “There is no escaping the grief and pain of a loss so great, it is almost unspeakable, but we must speak. We must speak on behalf of our beloved, Sabita. Our speech will take the form of action as we have set up a charity in Sabita’s name.

“The charity will be a reflection of what Sabita had hoped to achieve in her life, dedicated to helping others. The focus will be on gender equality education and the protection of vulnerable girls and women.

“This is our goal, to ensure Sabita’s senseless murder does not extinguish the beautiful light of hope that she shone so brightly throughout her short life.

“It is a time to grieve and that time may never truly end, but we will endeavour to find the strength and courage to move forward and we will remain forever grateful and awestruck that such a particularly beautiful, gentle soul was ours to hold and to love, even if it was for a heartbreakingly brief time.”

Dr Christian Brown, Mr Maaroufe’s Broadmoor psychiatrist, previously told the court that Mr Maaroufe suffered from paranoia – believing that demons were after him, and people were out to hurt him in the streets of London.

Maher Maaroufe had outstayed his UK visa

Dr Brown stated that at the time of the killing Mr Maaroufe believed Ms Thanwani had been possessed by the devil.

The family say they feel “extremely disappointed and let down” by the sentence that does not send Mr Maaroufe to prison.

“The indefinite hospital stay sentencing is a reflection of the plea of manslaughter based upon diminished responsibility, but there is no doubt whatsoever in our minds that this was a premeditated, cold-blooded murder.”

Mr Maaroufe is from Tunisia and had outstayed his visa in the UK.

“It beggars belief that the murderer, who was illegal in the UK, was not only arrested by the police prior to the murder, but he was imprisoned multiple times,” said the victim’s family.

“We can only presume it was a catastrophic breakdown of communication between the police, the prison system and immigration. If immigration was informed and did not take action, it is beyond poor judgement, it is culpable.

“Had the immigration process followed through, as it should have, this man would not have been in the UK to commit the vicious and merciless murder of Sabita.”

At a previous sentencing hearing, Dr Brown said: “When Mr Maaroufe came to this country, he tells me that his intention was to get a job, earn money, and to send it back to his family.”

He added: “He told me that because his visa wasn’t extended into the future, he couldn’t seek education.

“I understand he had a work ethic, and didn’t want to not work, and so engaged in a number of informal jobs which were set up by family and friends.

“He describes being treated very badly in these jobs, and being asked to do the work of many people… because his employers knew he had no recourse.”