Violence against women on UK transport rises 18 percent; police task force launched
Recorded cases of violence against women on the UK transport network have increased by 18 percent, prompting the formation of a police task force to target offenders.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Recorded cases of violence and intimidation against women and girls on Britain's transport network have risen by almost 18 percent in a year, prompting the creation of a new police task force to target offenders. British Transport Police recorded 12,100 such offences in 2024-2025, rising to 14,200 in the following year. Officers say the increase is partly driven by more victims feeling able to report crimes.
The task force, set up earlier this year, uses plain-clothed and uniformed officers on the London Underground and other parts of the network to proactively identify predatory behaviour. In one operation in Birmingham late at night, an arrest was made after a woman reported seeing a man with his trousers down. In another incident, two women were escorted by officers to a taxi home after reporting harassment on a train.
Victims have spoken about their experiences. Esme, who was sexually assaulted by two men on a train, said: "Last night I was sexually assaulted by two men on the train who grabbed my arse literally as I got off the train." She had previously reported a similar incident in 2024, when a man masturbated on her in a crowded carriage. In both cases, the perpetrators have not been caught. Esme said: "They just have to wait and hope that maybe these people might assault you again or they might offend again and they'll catch them someplace else."
Police are also using a new law that creates a specific offence for intentionally harassing someone in public because of their sex. Behaviours such as staring, following, and taking unwanted photographs are now criminal offences. An officer said: "If you think you can come on the network and behave like that, action will be taken."
Generations of women have had to change the way they travel to stay safe. Officers say they are adapting their policing methods to make it harder for offenders to get away with it.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| A new law created a specific offence for intentionally harassing someone in public because of their sex. | |
| A police task force was set up to tackle sexual offenders on the transport network. | |
| Police are using plain-clothed and uniformed officers on the London Underground to proactively target predatory behaviour. | |
| Recorded cases of violence and intimidation against women and girls on Britain's transport network increased by almost 18% year on year. | |
| Recorded offences of public sexual harassment rose by almost a fifth last year, from 12,100 to 14,200. | |
| The perpetrators in two incidents reported by a victim named Esme have not been caught. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This broadcast focused on the human impact of the rise in violence, featuring a detailed interview with victim Esme and her two separate incidents. It highlighted the frustration of victims who feel justice is slow, and gave exclusive access to the task force's proactive patrols. The tone was empathetic and concerned, with a warning about upsetting content.
- “Last night I was sexually assaulted by two men on the train who grabbed my literally as I got off the train.”
- “They just have to wait and hope that maybe these people might assault you again or they might offend again and they'll catch them someplace else.”
This broadcast provided more detailed statistics and legal context, including the specific number of recorded offences (12,100 to 14,200) and the new law making public harassment a specific offence. It also included a longer segment on the task force's operations in London and Birmingham, and an arrest under the new law. The tone was more analytical and policy-focused, while still including victim testimony.
- “From 2024 to 2025, British Transport Police recorded 12,100 violence and intimidation offences against women and girls on Britain's railways. A year later, that had risen to 14,200 recorded crimes, an increase of 18% in just one year.”
- “So behaviours such as staring, following, taking unwanted photographs are absolutely criminal offences now. If you think you can come on the network and behave like that, action will be taken.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.