Sex offences on trains and at stations soar to record high with 25% increase in 2015

Sex offences on British trains and at stations have risen to record highs with an increase of 25% according to figures from the British transport police. 1,399 sex offences were recorded between March 2014 to March 2015, an increase of 282 on the previous year. The rise was attributed to a campaign encouraging individuals to report the crimes. The majority of sexual offences were against woman and girls.

British Transport Police were partly responsible for the launch of "Report It, Stop It", an awareness campaign for sexual violence on trains and at stations. While figures show instances of sexual violence are being reported more often there are fears that the crimes remain under reported.

Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said: "When you consider that 4.5 million passenger journeys were made on the rail network each day in 2014/15, the chances of becoming a victim of crime are minimal - but we are well aware that individual experiences can differ greatly to that wider picture."

Recorded violent crimes on UK trains also rose by 9,148 instances, an increase of 8%. However, overall crime was down for the 11<sup>th consecutive year. Looking at the figures over the last 11 years, Hanstock said: "In that time, vehicle and cycle crime has been driven down by 39%, meaning 4,600 fewer offences, while 19,000 fewer people have been the victim of the theft of property, with crimes of this type down 61%.

"All of this has been achieved against a background of a growing industry, increasing passenger numbers and large-scale investment in infrastructure. The demand for the skills of BTP officers and staff will be even greater with the opening of Crossrail, plans for the HS2 link and the introduction of night services on the London Tube network."