The call for a new law requiring bystanders to intervene when someone is in danger has taken on fresh urgency in the United Kingdom, following the murder of Zara Aleena, a 35-year-old law graduate, in June 2022. Aleena was killed while walking home in east London, a tragedy that has since become emblematic of the broader failures in protecting women from violence in public spaces. Her aunt, Farah Naz, has emerged as a leading advocate for what she calls a Good Samaritan law—one that would create a legal duty for witnesses to take action if they see someone clearly in danger.
According to BBC, Naz’s proposal is not about encouraging people to put themselves in harm’s way. Instead, it’s a push to foster a cultural shift, where stepping in could be as simple as calling the police. "It creates legal duty to act when someone is clearly in danger, offering protection and obligation," Naz explained on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme. She added, "We’re being told that women are not safe in public spaces and they have to be responsible for their own safety. So the state does need to be acting with urgency to make women feel safe, they have a right to feel safe in public spaces."
This renewed debate comes in the wake of a major report by Lady Elish Angiolini, released on December 3, 2025. The report, commissioned in response to the 2021 rape and murder of Sarah Everard—a case that shocked the nation—included a recommendation for the government to encourage more bystander intervention and to consider enacting a Good Samaritan law. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood responded that the government would "carefully consider the recommendations."
For Naz, the idea is rooted in the belief that protecting women in public spaces requires "whole society action." Citing Lady Elish’s report, she said communities should feel "liberated to act." The law would not only empower bystanders but also shield those who help from fear of being sued for "ordinary negligence," a concern that often deters people from intervening.
Countries around the world have taken varied approaches to this issue. The US, Canada, and Finland have Good Samaritan laws that offer legal protection to those who assist people in danger. Meanwhile, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal go a step further with so-called "duty to rescue" laws, making it a criminal offense to fail to provide assistance in an emergency—provided it can be done without endangering oneself.
The murder of Zara Aleena was particularly harrowing. According to BBC, her killer, Jordan McSweeney, was a prolific offender who had been released from prison just nine days before the attack. CCTV footage captured McSweeney stalking the streets of Ilford, approaching several women before he assaulted and fatally beat Aleena in what was later described as a "brutal attack." Naz has been candid about the pain of revisiting these events, but insists it’s necessary "because it shows how the system failed, and still fails to stop dangerous men from roaming the streets." She said, "The report calls out systemic failure which occurred both in the case of Sarah and Zara. Systemic failure led to their murders."
The Angiolini Inquiry, launched in 2021 after the abduction, rape, and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, set out to examine not just the individual cases, but also the broader issues within policing and women’s safety. The first report, published in February 2024, found that Couzens should never have been a police officer and highlighted several missed opportunities to stop him before he committed his crimes.
One of Lady Elish’s key recommendations from that first report was that, by September 2024, all police forces should have a specialist policy in place for investigating all sexual offences—including "non-contact" offences such as indecent exposure. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) developed guidance to support this, but as of September 2025, a full 26% of police forces had yet to implement the recommendation. This gap underscores the ongoing challenges in translating policy into practice, even when the stakes are as high as public safety.
The second stage of the Angiolini Inquiry, published on December 2, 2025, broadened its focus. Among its recommendations were calls to improve information and programs aimed at fostering a culture of positive masculinity among men and boys, as well as to deliver targeted, consistent public messaging about how to report crimes. The report’s foreword, written by Sarah Everard’s mother, Susan Everard, was a poignant reminder of the human cost of these failures. "I am not yet at the point where happy memories of Sarah come to the fore. When I think of her, I can’t get past the horror of her last hours," she wrote.
The push for a Good Samaritan law is not without precedent. As BBC notes, in countries with such laws, citizens are protected from lawsuits for ordinary negligence if they step in to help. The more stringent "duty to rescue" laws in parts of Europe even carry criminal penalties for failing to act, provided it is safe to do so. These international examples have fueled the argument that the UK should follow suit, especially given the series of high-profile cases that have exposed holes in the current system.
For many campaigners, the issue is not just about legal reform but about changing the national mindset. Lady Elish’s report emphasized that the safety of women in public spaces is a collective responsibility. Farah Naz echoed that sentiment, arguing that a Good Samaritan law would "create cultural change" by making it clear that everyone has a role to play in preventing harm. "It’s about creating a society where people feel empowered to help one another, not just stand by," she told BBC.
Yet, the debate is not without its critics and complexities. Some worry about the potential for such a law to be misapplied or to place undue pressure on ordinary citizens. Others argue that without proper training and safeguards, bystanders might inadvertently put themselves or others at risk. Naz and other proponents counter that the law would not require heroics—merely reasonable steps, such as alerting authorities, when someone’s safety is clearly threatened.
The government’s next steps remain uncertain. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s pledge to carefully consider Lady Elish’s recommendations has been met with cautious optimism by campaigners, but also with impatience by those who feel that the pace of change has been too slow. The fact that over a quarter of police forces have yet to implement specialist policies on sexual offences, despite clear guidance and tragic evidence of the consequences, only adds to the sense of urgency.
The stories of Zara Aleena and Sarah Everard continue to resonate, serving as stark reminders of what is at stake. As the UK grapples with how best to protect women and foster safer communities, the debate over a Good Samaritan law has become a focal point for broader questions about responsibility, accountability, and the kind of society people want to build. Whether the law changes or not, the message from campaigners like Farah Naz is clear: it’s time for everyone to play their part.
