Libby Squire: Mum of murdered Hull student meets the prime minister

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Libby SquireImage source, Squire family
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University of Hull student Libby Squire was raped and murdered after disappearing on a night out

The mother of a student who was raped and murdered in Hull has met with the prime minister to press for longer sentences for sex offenders.

Libby Squire, 21, was on a night out in 2019 when she was abducted and killed by Pawel Relowicz.

Relowicz, who was jailed last year, had previous convictions for voyeurism, performing sex acts in public and stealing underwear from women's homes.

Lisa Squire is campaigning for tougher measures for similar sexual offences.

Mrs Squire said she felt "really positive" after the meeting with Boris Johnson.

"I was really encouraged. I came out of there feeling good. I felt he really listened to what I had to say and was interested," she said

Relowicz's trial at Sheffield Crown Court heard he had driven around the streets of Hull before spotting Ms Squire, who was from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

He took her to secluded playing fields, where he attacked her and put her body into the River Hull on 1 February 2019.

Her disappearance sparked a huge search until her remains were spotted by a fisherman in the Humber Estuary seven weeks later.

Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

Lisa Squire, pictured with Libby's father Russ Squire, said she raised the issue of sentencing guidelines with the PM

The 26-year-old butcher was jailed for a minimum of 27 years.

Mrs Squire raised the discrepancy between the sentence given to her daughter's killer and the whole-life sentence given to Met police officer Wayne Couzens for the rape and murder of Sarah Everard.

She said the prime minister said he "couldn't understand why the sentences were different" and told her the government was looking into sentencing guidelines.

Image source, Humberside Police
Image caption,

Pawel Relowicz was convicted of rape and murder and was sentenced to a 27-year jail term in 2021

Speaking to BBC Look North, Mrs Squire said she still hoped to meet with Relowicz in prison.

"It's more about being in the same space as the person who was last with my daughter," she said.

"I would love for him to tell me how she died, but I'm under no illusion that he probably won't tell me that.

"I will never forgive him for what he's done but it would go a long way just to knowing those last few minutes and just piecing the whole jigsaw together."