New data has revealed that sexual harassment against women on trains has risen 50 per cent since 2021.
The British Transport Police Authority’s annual report in 2024 has shown that the number of sexual harassment reports doubled to 1,908, whilst the number of sexual offences suffered a 10 per cent increase.
More figures from the report show that crimes against women and girls rose to 11,357 in 2023, having previously been reported as 7,561.
Intolerable behaviour such as upskirting, catcalling, leering or indecent exposure is now being experienced by women more than ever according to the latest statistics.
The data shows that these offences are more likely to occur during rush hour between 5pm and 7pm.
In the survey it also stated that only 20 per cent of passengers who witnessed incidents of sexual harassment reported it to the police, whilst 51 per cent of victims said that other passengers tried to help them.
The British Transport Police (BTP) said that the increase in offences was due to more victims wanting to report them to the authorities.
To combat sexual harrassment, the BTP has launched a Railway Guardian App and a text service to 61016, which allows people to report these serious offences anonymously.
Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, described the rise in harassment on trains as “completely unacceptable”.
She told The Times: “In this day and age, no woman should have to plan her journeys by public transport based on where and when she will feel safe, and yet that is the daily experience for millions of women, whether they are commuting to and from work, or arranging an evening out with friends.
“Whether these figures reflect an increase in reporting, an increase in the volume of crime, or a combination of the two, one thing is clear, the level of violence, harassment and sexual offences that women and girls are facing when using the transport network is completely unacceptable, and cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.”
Due to the increase in sexual offences and harassment against women, the authorities are rolling out an anti-sexual harassment campaign to clamp down on these type of incidents.
The campaign consists of trying to educate on how passengers can intervene in certain situations of sexual harassment and how they can report any offenders to the authorities in order to keep public transport safe for women and girls.
Last year, BTP Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Furnell asked people to watch out and stand up for each other while catching the train or tube.
He commented: “I’ll guarantee that most of us have told our daughters, mums, or friends to be careful on their way home when they’re travelling alone late at night – perhaps to share their journeys and stick to well-lit areas.
“But we know that sexual harassment and offending can take place at any hour of the day, and our figures show that it’s most likely to happen at the busiest hours when carriages are most full.
“If we see something that isn’t right, doing something about it, whether that’s intervening, if you feel safe to do so, or reporting it to police.”
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