Women have a right to walk streets safely

RECENTLY in Plymouth, a young lady was attacked in the early hours after leaving a club, in this case a suspect has been arrested.

Last week, a man was sentenced to 20 years in prison at Taunton Crown Court for rape and assault in Plymouth. He had targeted females in night clubs.

These crimes, or alleged crimes, affect all women and create a climate of fear.

The understandable outrage of Sarah Everard’s death should be a catalyst for concerted action by all of us to tackle alleged abuse in all forms toward the female sex.

The widespread use of social media, easy access to pornography, lads’ culture and children who witness domestic abuse are but some of the factors which contribute to the problem.

In 2019, there were over 3,000 cases of all forms of sexual assault on women and girls in Devon and Cornwall, yet there were only 139 convictions in court.

This is not a record to be proud of and I suspect funding cutbacks to the police and CPS have played a part in this.

This translates to fewer officers to investigate these offences and provide visible patrols to deter such attacks.

All women have an absolute right to walk the streets of our communities safely but clearly, they need to be aware of the need to be careful.

This is an issue we all own and the public should inform the police of those they suspect of committing these offences or displaying tendencies which lead to them committing them.

Brian Blake Lib Dem Candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner, May 2021