A charity has paid tribute to its former employee’s “boundless optimism” after she was found stabbed following a gas explosion at her home.
Annabel Rook, 46, was found fatally injured at a house in Dumont Road, Stoke Newington, north-east London, just before 5am on Tuesday. A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, with police describing the victim’s death as “a domestic-related incident”.
John Martin, artistic director of PAN Intercultural Arts, where Ms Rook worked with young refugees for 16 years until 2022, described her as “a larger-than-life character” who joined the charity as a volunteer with lots of energy.
In a personal tribute, Mr Martin told the PA news agency: “She came to learn the techniques that we had to work with young refugees, and soon we took her on as a full artist, as a facilitator, to run workshops for us with unaccompanied asylum seekers, especially minors, and with young refugees.
“She brought lots of happiness and joy, and I’ve had many, many of them (the refugees) who’ve heard the news get back to me last night and today to say how devastated they are.”
Ms Rook went on to form a pioneering new group under the charity’s umbrella, called the Amies project, which works with traumatised female survivors of trafficking through the use of the arts, drama, creative writing and design art.
The group went on to win national awards and helped to form choirs that sang all over the UK, Mr Martin said.
He added: “Annabel’s energy brought a lot to the women and gave them new hope. This was her speciality, I think – a sort of a boundless optimism, a boundless self-confidence, which she transferred onto other people.”
Mr Martin said he had seen Ms Rook at a charity event in London around a month ago, where she was “very friendly and ebullient as always”.
Reflecting on the news of her death, he told PA: “It was a massive loss for us, a massive shock when we heard what had happened.
“She spent her life, certainly the 10, 12 years that I knew her, fighting against women who had been abused, fighting against violence to women, and the irony is that she then suffered from violence to women in the way that she died yesterday.”
More recently, Ms Rook had co-founded the MamaSuze CIC charity that supports refugee and migrant women, some of whom had fled domestic violence, with art and drama activities.
The organisation said in a statement shared on Tuesday that it was “devastated by the loss of our beloved co-founder” and that she treated everyone with “warmth and kindness”.
“Annabel was a profound force for good in the world, dedicating her working life to supporting women survivors,” it added.
Six fire engines and 40 firefighters were called to the scene early on Tuesday.
The front bay window of the property was completely blown out that morning, with debris including plants, wooden shutters and glass scattered across the street.
Two children, aged seven and nine, were also taken to hospital as a precaution following the incident but are not thought to have been inside the home when the explosion happened.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
