THE MOTHER of a university student who was raped and murdered after a night out has delivered a powerful safety message to pupils at Newent Community School.

Lisa Squire visited the school on Monday (October 12), urging young people to look after their friends and report sexual offences that might otherwise be dismissed.

Her daughter Libby, 21, was murdered by Pawel Relowicz in Hull in 2019 while studying at university.

Libby had been refused entry to a nightclub and her friends arranged a taxi home. However, she did not enter her accommodation and was subsequently attacked.

Relowicz was jailed for life in 2021, with a minimum term of 27 years. He had previously committed non-contact sexual offences, including voyeurism and indecent exposure.

Lisa launched the It Does Matter campaign in 2024 to raise awareness of these behaviours and encourage victims and witnesses to contact police.

Speaking to pupils considering university, she encouraged them to have "the time of your life but do it safely".

She added: "Never leave your friends on their own."

However, Lisa stressed that responsibility for her daughter's death rested entirely with her killer, rather than her friends or anyone who might have intervened.

"The only person that takes any blame for it is the man that killed her," she said.

More than 200 sixth form and Year 10 pupils attended presentations during the visit, which also marked the Gloucestershire launch of the campaign.

Lisa encouraged students to become active bystanders, explaining how checking on somebody who appeared alone or distressed could help prevent harm.

She said 18 people subsequently told police they had seen Libby that night before her attacker approached her.

Students also learned about harassment, exposure and voyeurism, and why apparently isolated incidents should be reported.

Pupil Naomi said the presentation showed young people they could take action rather than simply standing by when something appeared wrong.

Head student James said the session highlighted how an ordinary night out could become serious and praised the practical bystander advice.

Detective Chief Superintendent Kerry Paterson, from Gloucestershire Police, said reports helped officers identify offenders and establish patterns of behaviour.

She warned that what appeared to be one incident could be part of a series involving the same individual.

Headteacher Ben Dumayne said the school was proud to host the launch and praised Lisa for sharing her daughter's story.

He said pupils should leave school with the confidence to challenge inappropriate behaviour and the compassion to support others.

The campaign is also appearing across Gloucestershire through bus advertisements, radio, social media and digital advertising boards.

The campaign was originally developed with Thames Valley Police and now aims to reach wider communities. Its message is that behaviour such as stalking, upskirting and unwanted sexual exposure must not be normalised. Officers say reporting incidents can provide vital intelligence, even when the person responsible is unknown or no immediate arrest follows.

Further information about recognising and reporting non-contact sexual offences is available through the It Does Matter charity website.