Flashing, thefts and sex assault high on list of crimes on West Midlands railway network
Victims reported more than 200 sex related crimes at train stations across the West Midlands in a two-year period.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The British Transport Police’s (BTP) 2024 annual report shows that there has been a 10 per cent rise in recorded sexual offences including indecent exposure against women on railways from the previous year, up from 2,246 to 2,475.
And that since since 2022 there have been over 200 reported sex crimes at train stations in the region. In 2024 a total of 84 sex crimes reported compared to 79 in 2023 and 68 the previous year.
The research carried out by the Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice found there was also a rise in violence and theft of passenger property.
A separate BTP survey of 2,000 travellers last year also found that more than a third of women had been a victim of sexual harassment or sexual offending on their journeys.
The British Transport Police said: “We know that sexual harassment can have a real impact on those who experience it or fear it. We know it can affect how safe and confident you feel. It takes courage to report sexual harassment, and anything that has made you feel uncomfortable is worth reporting.
"We will always take you seriously, no incident is considered small or trivial, and our officers are trained to deal with all sorts of cases.
“We are committed to making sure victims of sexual harassment receive consistent support regardless of where they are in the country or when they report what has happened to them. We understand that if you experience unwanted sexual behaviour, you might want to forget about it and move on. However, reporting can help us stop it from happening again.”
Overall crime on the public transport network hit a record high last year, with almost 80,000 offences recorded by the BTP in 2023/24.
According to the same data, around 25 crimes are committed each day at the 10 worst-hit railway stations in the UK.
In response the RMT union said: “These statistics are utterly shocking and show the unacceptable levels of violence that passengers and our members face. We believe more staffing is essential to a safer railway.”
Dangerous and predatory sex offender Damien Gloster, aged 40, of no fixed abode, was this month given an extended 10-year prison term at Birmingham Crown Court for sexually assaulting two youths on the network in 2024. He was convicted after a BTP investigation.
In March 2023 a 14-year-old train passenger was attacked by a group of youths who tried to steal his trainers on the Cross City Line between Shenstone near Lichfield and Butlers Lane Railway Station, in Four Oaks.
Some incidents of sexual offences at stations may include indecent exposure and texting unsolicited lewd images which can have a psychological impact on victims.
The police service said it urging passengers to report sexual harassment an other crimes so that action can be taken against the offenders and nip bad behaviour in the bud. Travellers are being urged to save the BTP reporting line 61016 in their mobile phones and to contact officers if they witness or experience sexual offending.
"We will always act and we will always take you seriously,” DC Karl Byrne, who led the Gloster probe, said.
