Sexual harassment can happen to anyone, and anyone can do it to someone else.

We know from research and insight from the range of organisations we work with that sexual harassment is disproportionately perpetrated by men against women, and against members of the LGBTQ+ community. Sexual harassment is never the fault of the person who is targeted. It is an active choice to intrude on another person and is the responsibility of the person who is making that choice. This behaviour can have a significant and debilitating impact on those who experience it and it also harms society more broadly. Sexual harassment means that some members of our society feel less valued, less safe, and less free. We don’t want anyone to feel like this when using Britain’s railways.

No one should have to deal with this behaviour alone and having a shared understanding of what sexual harassment might look like will make it easier for people to look out for each other and recognise when someone may be feeling uncomfortable and may need some support.

 

Case Study

A male who sexually assaulted a sleeping teenage girl on a train has been jailed. The young girl boarded the train and, shortly into the journey, the perpetrator, changed seats to sit opposite her. The guard checked on the teen who appeared to be sleeping and saw the male passenger moving towards her. He went to investigate and saw the male passenger touching the girl inappropriately on her legs.

The guard told the male to stop and told him he was calling the police. The perpetrator left the train before the police could get there. The girl woke up shortly afterwards in a distressed state and told a fellow passenger that the perpetrator had touched her. Police subsequently launched an appeal featuring CCTV footage of the perpetrator, which resulted in the man being arrested. He denied the charge of sexual assault but was found guilty by a jury and subsequently sentenced to 10 months in prison and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.