Sex offences at train stations in the UK reach unprecedented levels, victims remain silent

Sex offences at train stations across the UK have soared to an all-time high - despite many victims remaining too afraid to tell the police. Shock new figures obtained by Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice found that, since 2022, there has been over 7,000 reported sex crimes committed at train stations across the UK.

The British Transport Police's (BTP) 2024 annual report shows that there has been a 10% rise in recorded sexual offences against women on railways from the previous year, up from 2,246 to 2,475. A survey of 2,000 people commissioned by the BTP last year also found that over a third of women had been a victim of sexual harassment or sexual offending on their commute. But experts believe the true extent of offending is being hidden because a large number of women do not report their experiences, as many people feel scared or believe that their experience won't be taken seriously.

BTP Detective Chief Inspector Nia Mellor said: "Tackling sexual offences is our top priority at British Transport Police, and we take every report of sexual harassment or violence extremely seriously.

"We know that these crimes commonly go underreported, which is why we relentlessly campaign to encourage witnesses and victims to report these offences to us. With this, we expect the number of reports to continue to rise.

"We view this increase as a positive sign that our efforts are paying off, and that women and girls are feeling more confident to report all forms of sexual harassment and violence on the rail network to us."

In 2022, the British Transport Police logged 2,271 sex crimes at UK stations, the lowest number of crimes over the past three years. A year later, this number increased to 2,373 sex crimes.

Alongside physical attacks - including assault and rape - other sexual offences occurring at train stations include harassment and indecent exposure and cyberflashing, which experts say can also leave long lasting psychological damage on their victims.

This month army Private John Harvey who raped a stranger in a doorway in the early hours and then hid in a railway station toilet cubicle, was jailed for nine years.

Harvey made a full confession to police after accosting and attacking the young woman after he missed his last train home, but then pleaded not guilty and forced her to "relive the worst moment of my life" by giving evidence at a nine-day trial.

Crime on the transport network hit a record high last year, with almost 80,000 offences recorded by the BTP in 2023/24.

According to the same data, around 25 crimes are committed each day at the 10 worst-hit train stations in the UK.

Violent crimes and sex offences have also both soared to all-time highs, doubling in the last ten years and overall, levels are 55% up on a decade earlier.

Based on figures gathered from BTP, the area with the highest number of train station sex crimes since 2022 are London stations with 3,900 offences, while Kent, Scotland, and West Midlands stations also all logged over 200 offences.

The RMT union said: "These statistics are utterly shocking and show the unacceptable levels of violence that passengers and our members face. We believe more staffing is essential to a safer railway."

Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice also obtained figures on other types of crime that the BTP recorded over the last three years.

This showed that UK train stations have seen an increase in recorded crime over the past year, with notable jumps in theft of passenger property and violence.

Det Ch Insp Mellor added: "We are working tirelessly to stamp out this unacceptable behaviour. We have patrols of uniformed and specially trained plain clothes officers across the railway day and night to catch offenders and reassure passengers as they travel, along with access to over 150,000 cameras across the railway network, which can provide us with clear, high-quality images.

"Each report we receive provides us with valuable information which we can use to build a picture of an offender. Often it allows us to notice a pattern of offending behaviour so we can take action.

"If you experience or witness sexual harassment or a sexual offence on the railway, we urge you to report it to us by texting 61016 or calling 0800 405040. In an emergency, always dial 999."

Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice provides expert claim and legal advice services for sexual abuse claims.

They operate a 24-hour helpline and an online claim form, which can be accessed on their website.