Part of British Transport Police crackdown on sexual harassment

A man has been arrested by British Transport Police on a charge of outraging public decency at Gunnersbury station. The charge relates to allegedly taking pictures/filming up a woman's skirt.

The arrest was made as part of the BTP's Project Guardian week of action last week. A total of 13 people were arrested across London in connection with a range of sexual offences committed on the capital’s trains, Tubes, and buses.

The Police said; "A male was arrested for outraging public decency for an offence at Gunnersbury by taking pictures/filming up a female’s skirt."

Commuters on the city's transport network are being urged to report any sexual assaults or harassment they have experienced or witnessed while travelling.

The project aims to encourage victims of sexual offences to have the confidence to report the crime. During the week of action, hundreds of uniformed officers were on patrol giving advice to commuters about Project Guardian, while plain clothes officers were deployed to identify any suspicious behaviour across the network.

In the 15 months since Project Guardian was launched, there has been a 31 per cent increase in the reporting of sexual offences.

Chief Superintendent Paul Brogden said: “Our message is clear – we want passengers to feel confident on their journey and to know exactly where to turn when they need help.

“A lot of victims do not report their experiences to us, for a number of reasons. Some worry that they won’t be taken seriously, or there is little that can be done to stop sexual crime, but this is not the case – you don’t have to suffer in silence.

“We will always be there to listen and will do everything we can to find those responsible. Unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network is completely unacceptable and we will do everything we can to support you and bring offenders to justice.”

The arrests for a variety of sexual crimes made during the week were at Clapham Junction, Hyde Park Corner, Green Park, Stratford, Gunnersbury, Angel, London Bridge, and Kentish Town.

*Number of reports for sexual offences between July 1st and June 31st:

12/13: 987

13/14: 1289

http://www.btp.police.uk/latest_news/project_guardian_week.aspx#sthash.b1Zs0gxM.dpuf

To report any incident of a sexual nature you can call 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016 with details of what happened. For an incident that has occurred away from the railway network, call 101. In an emergency always dial 999.

July 22, 2014