Sarah Everard’s case causes women to share stories of abuse on the streets of the UK

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Many have also exchanged notes about the usual precautions they take to try to stay safe when walking alone and have expressed their anger and frustration because it feels necessary.

The fact that a Metropolitan Police officer on duty has been arrested on suspicion of Everard’s kidnapping and murder has only added to the feeling of threat. Police looking for Everard, who was last seen on March 3 in Clapham, London, have found what they look like human remains in the Kent forest, the force was confirmed Wednesday afternoon.

But, she added, “I fully understand that, despite this, women in London and the general public, especially those in the area where Sarah disappeared, will be worried and might be scared.”

According to reports, police conducting door-to-door investigations into the case warned the women not to venture alone, prompting some to comment that this approach only feeds the culture of blaming the victims.

The deluge of reaction on social media provides ample evidence of women’s concerns and is a testament to the toll that lifelong surveillance affects women’s well-being.

From making a longer route home to avoid dimly lit streets to considering the possible need to flee while getting dressed for a night out, women perform constant risk assessments when walking alone, especially at night.

“For all those women who text their partners to let them know they’re coming home safely, wearing flat shoes at night so they can run if they need to, and having their keys in their hands. it’s not your fault to use them. ” he tweeted Anna Yearley, joint executive director of the legal action NGO Reprieve. “It never is. Many of us have stories of aggression. It’s never our fault.”

Another Twitter user, Linda Redford, responded, “This is a constant concern for women and girls of all ages; I’m 74 and I keep going through mental risk assessment every time I go out on my own especially, but not exclusively, at night. I taught the same to my daughters. Fear was passed from woman to girl through generations. “

Shelagh Fogarty TV and radio presenter has published a list of cases of sexual harassment that began at age 10 and reached age 50, from being followed from school to being attacked by a bully. “That’s what women face. That’s worse. Throughout our lives. It’s deserved. It’s exhausting. It’s scary. It has to stop,” she said.

Other women responded with their own depressing lists. After posting hers, clinical psychologist Eleanor Johnston added, “My first experiences are not at all unusual. What is important to remember is that ‘men’ are not intrinsically dangerous. Some men are. If this conversation tells us it can help everyone start a statement about the call to this behavior, we would all feel much safer. “

An image of Sarah Everard, who was on her way home to Brixton when she disappeared.

Sexual harassment

Although cases of abduction are relatively rare in the UK, new surveys indicate that harassment and sexual abuse are not.

More than 70% of women surveyed by UN Women in the UK said they had experienced sexual harassment in public spaces. That figure rose to 97 percent among women ages 18 to 24, according to surveys. The data, released on Wednesday, has been extracted from a YouGov survey of more than 1,000 women commissioned by UN Women UK in January 2021.

Surveys of the organization also suggested that women have little confidence in public institutions to deal with the situation.

“Only 4% of women told us they reported incidents of harassment to an official organization; 45% of women said they didn’t think reporting would help change anything,” UN Women UK said.

One in four women in the UK will experience domestic abuse and one in five sexual assaults during their lifetime, according to a document released by the Home Office in 2019.
Of course, women are not alone in feeling threatened on the street. And men are more likely to be victims of violent crimes involving strangers and acquaintances than women, according to the annual survey on crimes in England and Wales, published by the UK’s National Statistics Office (ONS). .
But government data show that men are much more likely to be prosecuted for acts of violence against women and men. During the three-year period ending March 2020, the vast majority of suspects convicted of homicide were men, 93 percent of the total, according to an ONS homicide report.

“No woman finds this shocking”

The outpouring on social media in connection with the Everard case speaks volumes.

While some expressed frustration at the persistent guilt of the victims, others stressed that, once again, women were urged to change their behavior to stay safe, rather than fall for it. the men.

Georgia Ladbury, an infectious disease epidemiologist and candidate for the Women’s Equality Party in the upcoming London Assembly elections, he tweeted Tuesday: “Women in my area have been advised not to go out alone” while investigating Sarah Everard’s disappearance. How about urging men not to go out? Saying a curfew in the afternoon?

“Maybe we would see more things about street safety if it were about loss of liberties by men, not women.”

In another tweet on Thursday, he added: “No woman finds this shocking. Because we are constantly planning and developing strategies on how to prioritize our safety. Meanwhile, men only live their lives and hold carefree conversations. The same the idea of ​​this kind of freedom intoxicates me. “

Police vehicles parked Thursday near Ashford, Kent, following the discovery of human remains in the hunt for the missing Sarah Everard.
Writer Caitlin Moran made a similar point. “Being a woman: my day ‘out’ ends at dusk. If then I haven’t taken the dog for a walk / jog, I can’t,” she said. he tweeted. “In the winter, it often means the choice between exercising and working. Today I had to stop working at 4 to exercise. My husband worked until 6 and now he’s going for a run.”
Writer and columnist Sarah Ditum he tweeted on “men’s horror at the idea of ​​a man’s curfew,” adding, “No one can be deprived of their liberties because of the violence of a minority, except women who restrict our freedoms all the time because of the violence of a minority of men. but freedoms are not for women, are they? “

Call to action

The men have also joined the conversation on Twitter, many in a positive way.

One tweet, by Stuart Edwards, has been widely shared. “I live less than five minutes from where Sarah Everard disappeared. Everyone is on high alert. Aside from giving as much space as possible to the quieter streets and keeping your face visible, there’s something more men can do. do you reasonably reduce the anxiety factor? ”he asked.

The women responded gratefully that the question had been asked and offered practical suggestions such as a man pulling back or crossing the road to assure a woman that they were not following her or offering to walk a friend.

Meanwhile, opposition Labor MP Jess Phillips called for tougher action against those who commit crimes against women, noting that convictions for rape and prosecution had fallen last year. domestic abuse.

“We are not tough on crimes against women and children perpetrated by men,” he said he tweeted. “Women should be able to walk the streets free of harm, fear and threats.”

Dick, London’s highest-ranking police officer, said there would be “continuous high levels of police patrols” in south London, where Everard was last seen, and acknowledged the impact of the alleged involvement of a police officer on public confidence.

“Sarah’s disappearance in these terrible and evil circumstances is the worst nightmare of all families,” he said.

“Today’s news that a Metropolitan Police officer arrested on suspicion of Sarah’s murder has sent waves of shock and anger to the public and throughout the Met.”

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