The London Mayor’s Office is working to create campaigns against sexual harassment throughout the city. Photo by: Maria de los Reyes Segura Laguna
By Maria de los Reyes Segura Laguna
Despite the #MeToo movement raising awareness around the world, almost half of women in the UK still feel unsafe walking alone, according to new research from Mitie and Walksafe, UK safety and security providers.
“Violence against women and girls has no place in London and I fully support the action by the Met to go after high-harm offenders and make our streets safer,” London’s deputy mayor for policing and crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, told the Ham&High.
From November 2024 to January 2025, almost 100 men have been arrested in connection with rape and other sexual offences against girls and young women, according to the Ham and High. The action in the boroughs of Islington and Camden were part of an investigation of various crimes such as rape and sexual harassment.
“It scares me to know that there were so many men arrested for that reason,” said Maria Campos, 46, a woman who frequently visits Holloway Road.
“But I think Islington is a safe neighbourhood for women thanks to the hard work of the police. Every morning when I leave the underground station I see the police patrolling the street.”
The organisation North London Rape Crisis has a free helpline so people aged 13+ could contact them, even anonymously if they wish, to ask for help if they have suffered any type of sexual violence. They also offer psychological, legal and emotional help.
Saijal, 21, a student said: “I think Islington is a safe place for women. But a threat is always a threat. Especially at night, when many women walk alone when leaving work.”
Saijal said that she doesn’t always feel safe. “I feel scared sometimes when I’m walking alone and I see a group of men passing near me. It’s an uncontrollable fear.”
Many women prefer to walk together to avoid being harassed. Photo by: Maria de los Reyes Segura Laguna
While Islington is considered a desirable borough overall, it does suffer from its fair share of crime. “Islington’s crime rate is 30% higher than the national average across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland,” according to Fahrenheit Security.
The organisation says that the most prevalent crime in the borough is “violence and sexual offences, with 7,995 reported incidents in 2023. This results in a crime rate of 30 per 1,000 people, which is a 4.1% increase compared to 2022”.
Despite police efforts to keep the streets of North London safe, many residents consider those efforts to be insufficient. Júlia Roza, a 23-year-old shop assistant, said: “They could do more, to be honest, I think women and men can be victims of sexual harassment, I think 100 arrested in a few months is crazy, they should definitely do more.”
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