A rape offence is reported every hour in London, and sexual assault charities warn the number is likely much higher.
More than 8,800 rape incidents were reported to the Metropolitan Police in 2023 – an average of 24 a day, according to the BBC.
However, charity Rape Crisis says that one in four women and one in 18 men have been raped or sexually assaulted since the age of 16, but most survivors don’t report it to the police.
In fact, their numbers suggest only one in six women who are raped report it to the police and only one in five men.
A spokesperson from sexual violence charity The Survivors Trust said: “The key to reducing the number of sexual assaults lies with the perpetrators. They need to change their behaviours.”
More than 70% of women have experienced sexual harassment in public spaces, UN research released in 2021 show, rising to 86% among 18-24-year-olds.
Met Police Detective Inspector Jon Ford said: “We are determined in our continued effort to tackle violence against women and girls, which we know has a significant and lasting impact on victim-survivors.”
There were close to 25,000 police-recorded sexual offences in London in 2023/4:
The numbers have been hovering around that number for three years now – a significant rise since the Covid-19 pandemic.
This medium term rise in numbers might suggest that more people are coming forward to report offences.
However, it’s still likely the numbers may be higher as many survivors choose not to come forward.
But how safe do women feel in London?
With numbers for sexual offences so high and such a high percentage of women having experienced sexual harassment, how do women feel about their safety in London?
Aribah Nadeem, 19, said: “As a woman living in London, I don’t feel as safe as I used to feel, and I also feel like sexual harassment is overlooked as a whole.
“I feel like there’s a lack of empathy surrounding harassment, and there’s not much prevention.
“At night I feel unsafe in places like the train or walking the streets, especially when I’m alone, I feel more vulnerable.”
Percentage of how ‘unsafe’ Londoners said they feel at night in the following areas:
Women are more likely to report feeling unsafe, especially at night, compared to men.
For example, 63% of women reported feeling unsafe in their local park at night compared to 41% of men.
Abigail Hepper, 19, said: “As a woman, I definitely feel more unsafe at night in London, especially in central.
”I experience more harassment at night, like catcalling, compared to the day and feel like there’s nobody around to help you, which feels scary and isolating.
“I definitely think that as a woman, it’s still not 100% safe for us anywhere, even in groups, and this mostly comes down to how people think it’s okay to do things like yell, catcall, stare, and more which is what really needs to change.”
What is being done to tackle sexual assault and harassment?
The Survivors Trust spokesperson added: “Some great work is being done to tackle incidents in London and elsewhere. Have a look at what the British Transport Police are doing on the rail network, including the Tube, with their RailwayGuardian app, etc.
“No one should be subject to sexual violence. It is always the perpetrator of sexual violence or harassment that needs to change their behaviour.
“We need to continue to challenge unacceptable behaviours and call them out as a society.
“The Survivors Trust welcomes, for instance, recent legislation such as the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 – which creates a new offence of intentional harassment, alarm or distress on account of sex and provides and introduces more robust penalties for those convicted of offences such as, but not limited to, persistent staring, unwarranted following, sexual or offensive comments, and non-consensual touching/pressing up against someone.
“We also need to continue to promote bystander interventions – if you see something inappropriate, then report it or say something. Bystander intervention can be an effective way of stopping sexual assault before it happens.”
The Met has said it will work closely with partners across London to protect victim-survivors and bring offenders to justice.
They’ve also said that they will identify high-risk and high-harm locations and better police powers to protect women and girls from perpetrators.
Find out more on how to report a rape or sexual assault here. Always call 999 in an emergency.
If you’ve been a victim of rape or sexual assault, charities and support agencies can offer help and guidance:
Rape Crisis: 08085002222
National Rape and Sexual Abuse Helpline: 0808 802 9999
Survivors UK: 0203 598 3898 [email protected].
Samaritans: 116 123 [email protected]
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