Owami Davies has been missing since the start of July, but there’s been little discussion about her tragic case.
The 24-year-old student nurse from Essex was last seen on CCTV in West Croydon, South London, on July 7, and police are yet to find her.
What we know so far
Davies was reported missing by her family on July 6, and then by Essex Police on July 11. The Met Police took over the investigation and launched an appeal for information towards the end of the month, on July 23.
After incorrectly identifying Davies in a CCTV image on August 3, the Met Police apologised, and re-issued a photo of the nurse in a shop on Derby Road, West Croydon, dating back to July 7.
It has also since emerged that police officers had contact with Davies on July 6, although she was not classed as missing at the time.
The Met said officers were called to an address in Croydon over concerns for a woman’s welfare. They called the London Ambulance Service too, but the woman told the officers she did not want help and left the property.
Officer say it was only later that it established they had spoken to Davies.
The Met Police will now be investigated by the Independent Office of Police Conduct in relation to its handling of the search for the missing woman.
The police are still currently in the process of reviewing over 50,000 hours of CCTV footage for more signs of Davies, according to the BBC.
Five men have been arrested, two on suspicion of murder and three on suspicion of kidnap. They have been released on bail.
Her mother, Nicol Davies, previously told PA news agency: “It is obvious that someone out there has seen something, someone out there knows something, someone. out there heard something.
“I am begging, I am asking for the public’s help, from the people, to say if you know, if you have heard or seen her, or she passed you, please speak up.”
She added that she was a “desperate mother” whose family was not “complete” without her daughter.
Nicol Davies added that Owami was “really happy” before she disappeared, with two months left of her studies and having secured a job with Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital in London.
She had also worked in A&E through the pandemic, and was interested in researching diseases.
Why there needs to be more conversation about her disappearance
Owami Davies is sadly not the first woman to go missing over the past few years.
Sarah Everard’s disappearance back in 2021 sparked nationwide concern over women’s safety. It was later discovered that she had been kidnapped, raped and killed by a then-active police officer.
Sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicola Smallman, Sabina Nessa, Ashling Murphy and Zara Aleena also all hit the headlines after they went missing, and furthered the conversation about women’s safety.
But, despite the last sighting of Davies dating back to July 7, there’s been notably less publicity around her case.
The feminist direct action group, Sisters Uncut, tweeted about its concern for Davies on Monday, writing: “The racist disengagement and lack of urgency from media and state means people who may have vital information to help find Davies could have missed these callouts.
“Answers to her whereabouts remain unclear.”
The organisation wasn’t the only one to point out the lack of coverage.