Number of sexual offences rises 10% and reports of sexual harassment double to 1,908, figures show
Violence against women and girls on British railways has risen by more than 50% over two years, according to official figures.
The number of crimes against women and girls rose from 7,561 in 2021 to 11,357 in 2023, and the number of sexual offences rose 10% from 2,235 to 2,475, according to a survey commissioned by British Transport Police. The survey, first reported in the Times, also found the number of sexual harassment reports doubled to 1,908, over the two-year period.
“I think it’s just a reminder of the fact that we’ve got this issue of violence against women and girls that isn’t going away and if anything is getting worse,” said Anna Birley, a co-founder of Reclaim These Streets, which organised the London vigil for Sarah Everard, 33, who was killed by the police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021.