Libby Squire’s mum and Humberside Police launch campaign to catch sexual predators

VICTIM: Libby Squire

By Rick Lyon

Libby Squire’s mum has today launched a campaign with Humberside Police to encourage women and girls to report non-contact sexual offences.

Lisa Squire and the force will use the Libby Campaign to raise awareness of the issue and urge victims to report crimes as soon as possible.

University of Hull student Libby, 21, went missing after a night out in the city on January 31, 2019.

Following the biggest search of its kind in Humberside Police’s history, her body was found in the Humber Estuary seven weeks after she disappeared.

Pawel Relowicz, 28, was convicted in February 2021 of raping and murdering Libby and sentenced to life in prison. He was ordered to serve a minimum of 27 years before he is eligible for parole.

‘WE NEED TO ACT’: Lisa Squire, speaking on Libby, Are You Home Yet?

The final episode of a three-part documentary on the case, titled Libby, Are You Home Yet?, aired on Sky Crime last night.

It highlighted how, in the months leading up to Libby’s murder, Relowicz had carried out a string of offences, including masturbating in front of women in public, staring at women in a state of undress through their windows and stealing underwear and sex toys.

Following his arrest in connection with Libby’s disappearance, Relowicz was charged with eight offences, including outraging public decency, voyeurism and burglary.

It was these charges that enabled the police to keep him in custody until Libby’s body was found, when he was then charged with rape and murder.

Relowicz was already serving a sentence of five years years and eight months for these crimes when he eventually went on trial for raping and murdering Libby.

Now, Lisa and Humberside Police have teamed up to launch the Libby Campaign to help stop sexual predators like Relowicz before their offending escalates.

SEXUAL PREDATOR: Pawel Relowicz

Lisa said: “Libby’s death was another in a long line of male sexual violence against women and girls. There were many points that night that could have changed the outcome for Libby, not least the reporting of non-contact sexual offences.

“It is unrealistic to expect the police to catch the offender immediately that night but what reporting does do is enable the police to record the offences, join the dots and act upon any increased incidences of non-contact sexual offences. 

“As women, we are conditioned to accept these acts of intimidation - we should not accept such behaviour. We need to act now to stop these offenders and to make the streets of the UK a safer place for women and girls.”

Humberside Police Assistant Chief Constable David Marshall said: “Libby’s story is a harrowing one with a devasting ending for Libby, her family and friends, but one which must be told so that her legacy can live on.

“We’re incredibly proud to be teaming up with Lisa to encourage women and girls to report all non-contact sexual offences, however minor they think they might be.”

A non-contact sexual offence can be anything from unsolicited exposure to sexual situations, verbal and behavioural sexual harassment, threats, and even the unsolicited use of a person’s image in a sexual manner.

Mr Marshall said: “Non-contact sexual offences often go unreported because many feel that they’re wasting their time, or the police’s time, in doing so. That is absolutely not the case.

“Some crimes were not reported until after Libby’s disappearance and they then played a crucial role in helping our investigation team to apprehend Relovicz.

“Without these brave disclosures, we may never have found Libby and, more importantly, brought her killer to justice.

“The more people report these crimes, the safer our streets will become. I encourage anyone, however small they think the offence might be, to report it to us.

LOVED: The Libby Campaign launched today

“Let’s make Humberside’s streets a safer place for our women and girls.”

The Libby Campaign launched today. It will run continuously and feature on digital advertising platforms in selected venues across the region and across all Humberside Police social media channels.

• To report a non-contact sexual offence, call the Humberside Police non-emergency line, 101. In an emergency, call 999.