A shocking poll found that over half of London women do not feel safe in the capital city.
ITV News London conducted the Survation poll of 1,528 women and discovered that 57% of respondents do not feel safe on the city streets. Only 32% said they do. Nearly half said they have been followed or verbally harassed by a man, while a third said they’ve experienced physical or sexual assault, some more than once.
The issue of women’s safety in London has gained traction over the last few years, especially after the murders of Sarah Everard and Zara Aleena, as well as sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry.
Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim, told ITV News London that every three days, a woman in London is killed at the hands of a man.
“Across the globe it is every 10 minutes,” he said. “We’re doing our bit from City Hall, but we can’t do it ourselves. That’s why we are working really closely with the police, with the courts, with the CPS, with the judiciary, but also schools. It’s got to start from primary school.”
Despite the government committing to halving violence against women within the next decade, 58% of poll respondents said they do not believe the mayor is doing enough on the issue, with only 26% saying better education for young boys would help. 51% said increasing the number of law enforcement officers would make them feel safer.
Jess Phillips, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, said the poll figures “saddened” her.
“Every woman I know has been harassed at some point in their life,” she stated.
When asked whether London has become more or less safe over the previous five years, 49% said it has become less safe while only 21% said it has become more safe.
Ben Russel, the Met’s deputy assistant commissioner, said that the volume of violence against women and girls is the real challenge.
“We are receiving thousands and thousands of reports every year. … We know we have got more to do to get to where we want to be. But it’s something that is important and we all recognise that,” he said.