WHAT happened in Argoed last week was horrific.

But one thing keeps coming into my mind amid the lurid reports of the crime: who the victim was has been lost in all of this.

Cerys Marie Yemm was 22. She had her whole life ahead of her.

All that promise is, heart-breakingly, lost.

There has been so much talk, understandably, about who her killer Matthew Williams was - questions and speculation about what his past convictions were, speculation that he had served a lengthy prison sentence for attacking a woman, how dangerous he was deemed to be in the system, when he had been released from prison, whether he had been monitored in any way, whether he had taken drugs that night.

Good questions, important issues that must be addressed in the serious case review to be carried out by the Ministry of Justice.

The review will examine the circumstances of Miss Yemm’s death, the management of Williams following his release from prison and whether steps can be taken to improve public protection.

South Wales East Assembly Member William Graham's questions about the hostel where the murder took place, the Sirhowy Arms Hotel, must also be answered quickly. The people of Argoed deserve it.

Mr Graham said: “References should be made to the halfway house, asking questions about how it is staffed and the security involved.”

The Ministry of Justice review should be swift, thorough and made public as quickly as possible.

But here, I'd like to also do something to redress the balance and talk about Miss Yemm.

This was an innocent young woman, someone who was clearly loved by her friends and family.

Her former colleagues at the Next store in Spytty tell us that she was a popular member of staff before she left there in April.

She is remembered locally for having worked at the pub in Abercarn which was formerly run by her father.

The outpouring of affection for her on the internet and on Facebook - from as far afield as the USA and Mexico - is scant comfort for the loss her family has suffered.

But it is important that amid all the horror we don't forget that this was a person who was loved, who touched people's lives, who deserves to be remembered.

I have seen a few judgemental social media comments about Miss Yemm which would make the majority of us shake our heads, and I have something to say about them.

We understand that reports Miss Yemm had met Williams that night and been persuaded to go home with him are incorrect.

We understand that Miss Yemm had been in a relationship with Williams for a few months.

Even had she not been, absolutely no one deserves what happened to her.

And people leaving judgemental comments on social media should remember that.

In yesterday's remembrance service in Argoed, while also remembering the killer's family, Reverend Charlotte Moss said: “Violence manifests itself in a myriad of ways and as a village we are reminded of this this past week after the violent death of a young woman.

“We remember the sorrow and pain of her family, her friends and her neighbourhood and this neighbourhood. "

We should also remember that in all of the reports and investigations - the Gwent Police murder probe, the Independent Police Complaints Commission probe into Williams' death, the ministry's review - this was a young woman whose life was cut violently short and who can no longer speak for herself.

It is the duty of all of us to speak for her.

She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, a colleague.

She was one of us.