THE death of Sarah Everard has triggered a public outcry about the safety of women and how offences against them are dealt with.
Data from regional police forces show there were more than 1,500 reports of rape against women and girls across the North-East and North Yorkshire in a one-year period.
The most recent official statistics at police force level show that 25 women and girls were killed across Durham, Cleveland and North Yorkshire policing areas between April 2016 and March 2019.
According to a report from the Femicide Census, a research and campaigning organisation, 15 of those killed in Durham in the decade to 2018 were females aged over 14. They were all killed by men. This figure stands at 19 in the Cleveland area and eight in North Yorkshire.
More than 400 women and girls reported rape to Durham Police in just a year. Cleveland Police figures show that more than 600 reports by women and girls while there were 500 in North Yorkshire.
Home Office statistics show that women are disproportionately impacted by sex crimes and are more likely to be victims of stalking, harassment and domestic abuse than men.
A spokeswoman for Rape Crisis called for radical action in the fight to end violence against women and warned that the scope of the problem is much higher than official figures suggest.
Of the 588 rape cases recorded in Durham in the year to March 2020, 82 per cent involved female victims, as did 78 per cent of 718 sexual assaults dealt with by the force in that time.
Durham Police says it takes all allegations seriously and ensures every one is recorded.
A Durham Constabulary spokeswoman said: “Tackling high-harm crime, including rape, is one of the force’s top priorities and we take all allegations of this kind extremely seriously. We have robust systems in place to ensure that every offence is recorded.
“We have put additional resources into areas such as our safeguarding teams and we aim to deliver quick and timely justice for victims."
In Cleveland Police's area, 90 per cent of the 697 rape cases recorded involved female victims, as did 76 per cent of 591 sexual assault.
North Yorkshire Police recorded 597 rape cases in the same time frame, 88 per cent involved female victims, as did 85 per cent of 635 sexual assaults.
There were also more than 13,000 crimes flagged as domestic abuse by Durham officers in that period – the equivalent of 22 in every thousand people being violently or psychologically abused by someone they know.
Cleveland officers flagged more than 11,000 crimes as domestic abuse and North Yorkshire flagged 7,000.
Figures for the whole of England and Wales show that at least two-thirds of domestic abuse victims in that period were female.
More than 70 per cent of the 2,075 women and girls killed in the decade to March 2020 knew their murderer, compared to almost half of the male murder victims.
Domestic abuse has increased during the coronavirus lockdowns but Rape Crisis spokeswoman Katie Russell said: “Violence against women and girls is a global pandemic that long pre-exists Covid-19.
“In this country alone, it severely and negatively impacts millions of lives, communities and society as a whole – and it is deadly.
“The vast majority of it is never reported to the police and when it is, it rarely ends in criminal justice being served.”
She called on society to come together to “end the narrative that tells women they are responsible for preventing male violence and instead tell perpetrators and potential perpetrators that we will not tolerate violence against women and girls any longer.”
Surveys suggest that women and girls are also regularly harassed in public, with a recent YouGov poll for UN Women finding that at least seven out of 10 in the UK had experienced sexual harassment on the street.
North-East woman Erin was followed home by a car when she was 17, with the driver shouting at her.
She said: "It caused me major anxiety, to the point I wouldn't leave the house by myself for at least a month. I still suffer with panic attacks now.
"I've had several men shout things at me over the years, as I am walking by or cycling by, even as recent as last week.
"I was on a Metro a few years ago and a group of men were talking about me, even as I was stood by them. One even took a picture of me on his phone and WhatsApp-ed it to his friend that was stood beside me. I saw it on his phone. I was too scared to say anything at the time."
Erin, who says she is more confident now, added: "I shouted back at some builders last week who told me to grind the metal as I was cycling with my fiancé.
"He told me not to shout back at them, to ignore them, but he obviously doesn't experience what we as women do."
Official statistics do not reflect the scale of this specific issue but do show that Cleveland officers investigated 4,538 harassment allegations and 131 stalking cases while North Yorkshire officers investigated 1,500 and 748 respectively.
Durham officers investigated 7,297 harassment and 822 stalking cases.
Durham Police has been working with The Alice Ruggles Trust to train call handlers to identify and deal with potential incidents of stalking that are reported to them.
Cleveland Police is also working with specialist organisations in their efforts to protect women and girls from violence.
A Cleveland Police spokesperson said: “Tackling violence against women and girls is a key priority.
“Domestic abuse and sexual offences can be under-reported and we want women to feel able to report these crimes to us.
"We work closely with specialist support services including EVA Women's Aid, Harbour and My Sister's Place, to assist victims throughout the process. An increase in reports means we are more able to protect women and take action against perpetrators.
“Encouraging women to disclose abuse and violence at the earliest opportunity is important to stop escalation. We are committed to making Clare’s Law disclosures, so women at risk can be made aware of a partner’s history of abusive behaviour.
“We frequently use the powers of domestic violence protection orders and notices to provide immediate safeguarding so victims can get specialist support and decide what to do next."
The force supports the national ‘Ask ANI’ scheme and has run a similar scheme in hairdressers so women ready to disclose violence have a safe space to do so.
Both forces urged anyone who believes they are a victim of these type of offences to come forward.
The most recent Crime Survey for England and Wales found that almost one in five women had been stalked, compared to fewer than one in ten men.
Home Secretary Priti Patel urged people to share their views with the Government after thousands shared their experiences of violence and abuse following the death of Sarah Everard.
She said: “So many of you have bravely shared your own experiences of harassment, abuse and violence online over recent days, so today I am re-opening our nationwide call for views on tackling violence against women and girls. The government is listening.
“Everyone should be free to walk our streets without the slightest fear. With Sarah and her family in my thoughts and prayers, I will continue to do all I can in my role as Home Secretary to protect women and girls.”
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