Devon and Cornwall Police want incidents like cat calling reported
The force's ‘It Does Matter campaign' is in response to the hundreds of so-called 'non-contact sexual offences' reported last year
Devon and Cornwall Police is calling for things like 'cat calling' to be reported to them.
They recorded 540 so-called 'non-contact sexual offences' last year and say it can be a sign of potentially escalating behaviour.
Detective Superintendent Nicky Seager says that was the case with the killers of Libby Squire and Sarah Everard, adding: "Many women and girls will have been subjected to non-contact sexual offences during their lives.
"This is likely to include your family and friends. Many will have brushed it off as something that happens to all women, or found that others have laughed at their stories, making them question how serious it is.
“We are launching the ‘It Does Matter’ campaign to encourage those who have been subjected to offences such as indecent exposure and voyeurism, to absolutely report to the police.
“Any information shared will assist us understand patterns of offending and help to identify and locate individuals. This will help prevent further offending and protect people from harm.
DI Seager added:"Non-contact sexual offences, such as exposure and voyeurism, have been overlooked in the past as a form of violence against women and girls - but it’s time to change that. Often not considered serious enough to report by victims, these crimes can be an indicator of escalating criminal behaviour, which may lead to a serious sexual offending, including rape, sexual assault and even murder.
"Last year, 540 offences of non-contact sexual offences were reported in Devon and Cornwall. The most common offences reported were indecent exposure and sharing indecent images to people. The most prolific offenders were between the ages of 26 and 45. Most reports of these crimes came from victims under the age of 18, though reports were received from all age groups
"In light of the tragic murders of Libby Squire in 2019, Sarah Everard in 2021, and Zara Aleena in 2022, all of whom were victims of men with histories of non-contact sexual offending, the importance of addressing these crimes is being increasingly recognised.
"Data from the Office for National Statistics in 2023 revealed that over 12,000 exposure and voyeurism offences have been recorded annually by police in England and Wales since April 2021. However, this represents fewer than 6% of the estimated number of total incidents, highlighting the significant under-reporting of non-contact sexual offences.
"A recent report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for UN Women found that 71% of women in the UK have experienced sexual harassment in a public space, including though not limited to, sexual exposure.
"Shockingly, 95% of these incidents were not reported to the police, with more than half of women saying they did not report as they didn’t believe the incident was serious enough.
“We want to make it clear: it is serious and it does matter.
“We strongly urge people to provide as much detail as possible when reporting non-contact sexual offences online. Detailed information, including descriptions of offenders, significantly improves our ability to route the report to the appropriate department.
"To learn more, visit the dedicated ‘It Does Matter’ website and follow our social media accounts to keep up to date.
"If you have been a victim of this crime type and would like support, contact our Victim Support Unit – 08 08 16 89 111."
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