A VIGIL was due to be held last night to honour the lives of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman just over a year since they were attacked in a north-west London park. 

Mourners gathered on what would have been Ms Smallman’s 29th birthday to also pay tribute to all women lost to male violence. 

Ms Smallman, a photographer, and Ms Henry, 46, a social worker, had been celebrating the elder sister’s birthday in Fryent Country Park on June 5 when they were attacked. 

Danyal Hussein was found guilty of murdering the sisters at the start of July this year. 

The sisters’ mother, Mina Smallman, said her daughters “should not simply be remembered as victims.

“While nothing can bring them back, we hope their lives can make a change in the way women are viewed, and black women in particular,” she said. 

After the pair were first reported missing, there was a delay in the investigation. The family has questioned whether the fact her daughters were black was behind the delay.

And  as the investigation went on, two officers were charged with misconduct in public office after it emerged they had shared images of the murder scene on Whatsapp. 

Attendees were invited to light candles and to hold a minute’s silence. 

Reclaim These Streets, which organised the vigil, said it wanted to use its platform to help Ms Smallman remember her daughters. 

“We’ve been so inspired by Mina’s strength and her activism, and we’ve learned so much from her in the past three months,” group co-founder Jamie Klingler said.

“She wanted to celebrate the life of her daughters, but she also wanted to shine a light on all women that have been victims of male violence.”