More than 3,500 women spoke up in the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star's women's safety survey. Here we take a look at the results and some of the responses.
In the wake of the shocking murder of Sarah Everard, we asked women to take part in a survey about how secure they feel in the county. These are the results (3,605 respondents):
As a woman, on the whole do you feel safe living in Suffolk?
No, often I feel unsafe - 24%
I usually feel unsafe - 8%
Most of the time - 58%
Yes, all of the time - 9%
What about when walking or travelling alone?
No, often I feel unsafe - 32%
I usually feel unsafe - 21%
Most of the time - 37%
Yes, all of the time - 9%
Not sure - 1%
Have you felt it necessary to take measures to protect yourself while out?
Yes - 67%
No - 33%
Hundreds of women also detailed some of their personal experiences in the survey, these included:
- "Had a car pull up beside me with two men asking about my bum, it made me feel really unsafe"
- "I've been followed by men in dark alleys and scared by groups of men"
- "I've been shouted at in the street, followed and intimidated in car parks"
- "I've been groped in busy nightclubs, been approached when walking home in the dark"
- "I was followed home one night and when he caught up with me, he flashed me"
- "I was followed into the park when it was getting dark, I ran and he disappeared"
- "I've been cat-called from cars and people on the street, my earliest memory is from when I was 14"
- "I've been sexually harassed and assaulted multiple times when working in a pub and out with friends"
- "I have been grabbed and slapped when walking home, and followed by a stranger"
- "I've been chased twice, cat-called numerous times, and sexually assaulted (groped) in a pub"
- "I've been inappropriately touched while out. I even had a man put his hand up my dress while I was walking to a club"
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