The second victim of Friday’s terror attack at London Bridge has been named as 23-year-old Saskia Jones.
Saskia, of Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, was a graduate of Cambridge University, and had been working as a volunteer at the Learning Together programme in Fishmonger’s Hall, at which Usman Khan launched his cowardly attack on Friday afternoon.
The first victim of the attack has previously been named as 25-year-old Jack Merritt, who had been a course co-ordinator at Learning Together, a prisoner rehabilitation scheme run by the university.
Saskia’s family paid moving tribute to her yesterday as a “funny, kind, positive influence at the centre of many people’s lives.”
“She was intent on living life to the full and had a wonderful thirst for knowledge, enabling her to be the best she could be,” said the family in a statement.
“This is an extremely painful time for the family. Saskia will leave a huge void in our lives and we would request that our privacy is fully respected.”
READ MORE: London Bridge terror victim named as Jack Merritt
The 23-year-old had a “great passion” for providing support to victims of criminal injustice, and had recently applied to a police graduate scheme, wishing to specialise in victim support.
On Saturday, the first victim of the attack was confirmed by his father, David, to have been Jack Merritt, of Cottenham, Cambridgeshire.
The Merritt family have described their Jack as “our beautiful, talented boy” who “lit up our lives and the lives of his many friends and colleagues.”
“Jack lived his principles; he believed in redemption and rehabilitation, not revenge, and he always took the side of the underdog,” said the family. “
Jack was an intelligent, thoughtful and empathetic person who was looking forward to building a future with his girlfriend, Leanne, and making a career helping people in the criminal justice system.
“We know Jack would not want this terrible, isolated incident to be used as a pretext by the government for introducing even more draconian sentences on prisoners, or for detaining people in prison for longer than necessary.”
They added that their thoughts were also with those who knew Saskia, Jack’s friend and colleague, as well as with those injured in the attack.
One of those three injured has now been able to return home, said police, while the other two are said to be in a “stable condition.”