Fawziyah Javed, a brilliant and beautiful lawyer hailing from Leeds, aged 31, found herself at the 17th week of her first pregnancy. She embarked on a short getaway to Edinburgh with her husband on 2nd September 2021. Surveillance footage captured the couple walking arm in arm through the streets of Edinburgh. However, the tranquillity was shattered when, by 10:30pm that very night, tragedy struck, and Fawziyah lost her life in a fatal fall from Arthur’s Seat. Just two days later, her husband was apprehended and accused of her murder.
“The Push” stands as a riveting new series crafted by Candour TV, showcasing the shocking events of the murder trial in real-time. The series offers an exclusive window into the courtroom proceedings, presenting the harrowing journey of Fawziyah’s family as they grapple with the painful process of confronting the evidence. The show also delves into the experiences of her close friends and family members as they cope with the aftermath of the tragedy. It is a series that evokes powerful emotions, igniting anger and sorrow for a life lost due to a coercive and controlling domestic abuse relationship. What is particularly astounding is that Fawziyah’s meticulous documentation of the abuse inflicted by her husband serves as incontrovertible evidence for the jury, leaving no room for doubt regarding the hidden turmoil.
Channel 4’s Head of Documentaries, Alisa Pomeroy, greenlit the production of this series. “The Push” is a creation of Candour TV, spearheaded by Series Director Anna Hall, Series Producer Josephine Besbrode, and Series Editor Luke Rothery.
Alisa Pomeroy said: “To tell Fawziyah’s story in this way, with her family bravely sharing what is an unimaginably painful time for them, is both a great privilege and a great responsibility. No woman should have to suffer an abusive relationship. Shining a light on this heart-breaking case is important for many reasons, and I hope that other women suffering in a similar way might find strength in seeing this film to make a lifesaving change in their own lives. The access gained by Anna and the team at Candour to make this series is unique and I have no doubt they will honour Fawziyah’s memory, showing how her killer was brought to justice.”
Anna Hall said: “It’s been such a privilege to see the process of justice played out minute by minute at Edinburgh High Court and it’s been an utter privilege to work with Fawziyah’s large and loving family who are destroyed by what has happened to her. I find myself making another film about a woman who was on the verge of leaving an abusive relationship – the most dangerous time for any woman – and I want to weep. How many more women will be killed at the hands of their abusive partners? But I know we will all learn so many vitally important things which helped to convict her abuser.”
