Seven women are raped every week in North Yorkshire, new figures show

The recent murder of Sarah Everard in the south of England has prompted a national discussion about violence against women, their safety in our society and how offences against them are dealt with.

From feeling unsafe walking outside at night to daily harassment, and physical assaults, many women accept such experiences as just a part of life they have to put up with.

Indeed in my own circle of friends, there isn't a single woman who hasn't experienced some degree of sexual harassment in their life.

From the age of 12 onwards I have moderated my behaviour to try and keep myself safe, aware far earlier than I would have liked of the dangers I face just by being a woman in the world.

I've had interactions with strangers, acquaintances, former employees and school peers that have at best left me feeling uncomfortable and at worst unsafe, and neither myself nor my friends are unique in our experiences.

Official Figures

Figures from the Open Crime Database show that in the 12 months up to March 2020, there were 477 victims of sexual assault aged 13 or over in North Yorkshire, 417 of which were female and 60 male.

The same data shows there were 390 victims of rape aged 16 or over, of which 370 were female and 20 male. Female cases of rape outnumber male cases 18 to 1.