Murder of Fawziyah Javed

Fawziyah Javed was born on 4 September 1989 in Leeds, England, to Mohammed and Yasmin Javed. An only child, she was raised within a close extended family and had wanted to become a lawyer since childhood. She studied law at the University of Sheffield and went on to work as a lawyer, undertaking charity work for South Asian communities.

In August 2019, Fawziyah and her mother met Kashif Anwar, an optical assistant at Vision Express, and the two began a relationship. They married on 20 December 2020. According to evidence presented at trial, during the marriage Kashif became controlling and abusive towards Fawziyah on multiple occasions while the couple lived with his family, including an incident in which he punched her at a cemetery. He was also reported to have stolen money from her bank account. Fawziyah confided in her mother about the physical and emotional abuse she endured, and her mother urged her to seek a divorce.

Fawziyah became pregnant during the marriage, which contributed to her decision to leave Kashif and move back in with her parents to raise her child in a safe environment. She had gathered evidence for divorce proceedings, including recordings in which she accused her husband of ruining her life. Despite her parents' concerns, she agreed to travel with Kashif to Edinburgh in September 2021. Her mother later testified that Fawziyah had planned to celebrate her 32nd birthday after moving away from him. CCTV footage showed the couple having lunch together at St Andrew Square before walking to Arthur's Seat. During their descent, Kashif pushed Fawziyah, causing her to fall approximately 50 feet and sustain a fatal head injury.

Kashif Anwar was tried and, on 6 April 2023, found guilty of murdering his wife. The prosecution case was led by Alex Prentice KC, and family members testified about Anwar's controlling behaviour toward Fawziyah. Trial judge Lord Beckett (John Beckett) sentenced Anwar to life imprisonment with a minimum term of twenty years.

Following the conviction, Fawziyah's family launched the Fawziyah Javed Foundation. In 2024, Channel 4 released a documentary, The Push: Murder on the Cliff, covering the murder and subsequent trial.