Actually, when there is a negation somewhere, NE must always be there.
Historically NE was used alone to negate sentences. PAS was used merely as a strengthening means. Nowadays, when you speak, you may leave out NE, but when you write, forgetting NE is considered incorrect standard French.
Here you have "personne" and you want to negate, so NE is compulsory.
Note that you can find NE alone in formal register: il n'ose se confronter à elle = il doesn't dare to face her.
But NE can also have no mean at all! It's called "ne explétif" = avant qu'il ne soit trop tard = before it's too late (you can also say avant qu'il soit trop tard, the former is more common though).