A woman who was found stabbed after a gas explosion at her home in north London “gave her life to helping the vulnerable and the disadvantaged”, her family have said.
Annabel Rook, 46, was found injured at a house in Dumont Road, Stoke Newington, just before 5am on Tuesday, and paramedics were unable to resuscitate her at the scene.
Rook worked for the charity she co-founded, MamaSuze, which supports refugee and migrant women, some of whom have fled domestic violence, with art and drama activities.
In a statement issued via the Metropolitan police, her family said they were “struggling to come to terms with this terrible tragedy”.
The tribute read: “We have lost our beautiful daughter, sister, friend and mother. Annabel was a truly wonderful woman. She touched the hearts of so many.
“She gave her life to helping the vulnerable and the disadvantaged, whether it was in refugee camps in Africa, or setting up MamaSuze in London to enhance the lives of survivors of forced displacement and gender-based violence.”
The family asked for their privacy to be respected.
A 44-year-old man was arrested at the address on suspicion of murder. He was taken to hospital and later discharged and taken into police custody, the force said. Police have said they believed the incident was “domestic-related”.
John Martin, the artistic director of Pan Intercultural Arts, where Rook worked with young refugees for 16 years until 2022, previously described her as “a larger-than-life character” who had joined the charity as a volunteer.
In a personal tribute, Martin said: “Annabel’s energy brought a lot to the women and gave them new hope. This was her speciality, I think – a sort of boundless optimism, a boundless self-confidence, which she transferred on to other people.
“She spent her life, certainly the 10, 12 years that I knew her, fighting [for] women who had been abused [and] fighting against violence to women.”
MamaSuze 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 said.
Police were called at 4.57am on Tuesday to reports of a gas explosion with a person trapped inside the property. Rook was found at the scene with stab wounds.
The front bay window of the property was completely blown out, and debris including plants, wooden shutters and glass was scattered across the street.
Two children aged seven and nine were taken to hospital as a precaution after the incident. They are not thought to have been inside the home when the explosion occurred.