Speak up, Stand Together, Stay Safe

Everyone deserves to feel safe. Yet so many women and girls continue to experience behaviours that leave them feeling uncomfortable, intimidated or unsafe.

Tackling male violence against women and girls is firmly one of my top priorities as your Police and Crime Commissioner. And is one of the top priorities for Government.

Starting on 15^th September, the Constabulary is building on the ‘It Does Matter’ campaign with a month-long awareness initiative which focuses on non-contact sexual offences.

Non-contact sexual offences are often misunderstood, minimised, or dismissed, despite the harm they can cause. These behaviours are unacceptable and should never be tolerated. By increasing understanding and challenging harmful attitudes, we can help create safer communities for everyone.

Non-contact sexual offences include:

• Indecent exposure
• Online exposure
• Catcalling
• Drink spiking
• Voyeurism
• Upskirting
• Stalking
• Harassment

The ‘It Does Matter’ campaign was developed in memory of Libby Squire, who was raped and murdered in 2019 whilst a student at University in Hull. Her murderer was found to have a history of non-contact sexual offending and Libby's tragic death highlights the serious risks posed by these behaviours. Launching during university Freshers’ Week, this campaign will raise awareness of non-contact sexual offences and encourage conversations about respect, personal responsibility, and the role we all play in preventing violence against women and girls.

The campaign is built around three messages: Speak Up, Stand Together, Stay Safe.

Speak Up is about recognising behaviours that contribute to women and girls feeling unsafe, and understanding that these behaviours should never be ignored, or dismissed as ‘to be expected’. Whether you see something unnerving, hear something misogynistic or are victim of a crime yourself, it matters. Speak up is around reporting non-contact sexual offences.

Stand Together means creating safer communities is a shared responsibility. Preventing harm is not something that any one organisation or individual can do alone. This is where my convening powers really do come in useful. Bringing together key players to make sure we are aligned in preventing harm. But we as a society need to take this same community driven mindset as well. We all have a role to play.

Stay Safe focuses on providing practical information and support. From understanding reporting options to accessing university welfare services, police support or community resources, we want people to know help is available and that they do not have to deal with concerns alone.