‘It is unacceptable that women do feel unsafe’

Ruari Hardy’s intervention comes after events and discussions were sparked by the death of Sarah Everard in the UK, who was murdered while walking home from seeing a friend.

In yesterday’s Guernsey Press, we published some anonymous personal accounts of survivors of sexual assault that took place in our island.

We want to thank them for bravely share their stories and highlighting the fact that this is an issue that Guernsey plays a part in.

The police, along with Home Affairs, which has political responsibility for law enforcement, have said they are committed to making every effort to give women in Guernsey reassurance that they are safe in the community.

Holding the belief that the Bailiwick ‘is a safe jurisdiction in which to live and work’, they recognised that it is not immune from crime, including those committed against women.

Assurances have been made that efforts will be made to improve upon this area of the force’s safeguarding and enforcement work.

Crimes such as sexual harassment can have long-lasting consequences on someone’s life, and police and Home Affairs says it realises that much work remains to be done to ensure women in the community feel safe at all times, whether out or at home, day or night.

Mr Hardy said news in recent days and weeks has sparked nationwide conversations about violence against women, highlighting and amplifying the fear women carry as they go about their daily lives, scared that they might become victims of sexual harassment or worse.

‘It is unacceptable that women should feel unsafe. We all need to challenge perpetrators of this appalling behaviour in a way that delivers meaningful change and Law Enforcement must play our part in this.

‘The bottom line is simple: women in Guernsey should be able to enjoy their lives, including the night-time economy and the right to return home safely afterwards, without having to worry.’

To truly achieve this, so that it can be clear that the community does not tolerate it, a culture shift across society is needed, he said.

‘Therefore, as an organisation, we need to listen to our community and work together to foster greater support for women, and give them the reassurance that they will be safe.’

In the UK, new measures such as non-uniform officers carrying out increased patrols to identify predatory behaviour will be trialled, particularly around nightclubs and pubs.

As well, cash for the Safer Streets Fund will be doubled to £45m., allowing local authorities to invest in improved street lighting and CCTV cameras.

These will be reviewed by the States and Guernsey Police to see how they could work in a local setting.

‘Our goal is to keep the Bailiwick safe and secure; having a zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment and violence towards women will be key to achieving this.’

Home Affairs president Deputy Rob Prow said all right-thinking members of the community believe that the fear women have is unacceptable.

‘It takes a community effort to combat,’ he said.

‘While we are a safe island, we must not rest on our laurels as more can always be done to make us all feel safer.’

Home Affairs has monitored discussions on this topic since the tragic events in England over the past week, and is committed to continuing to work closely with Law Enforcement to support strategy and police developments in this area so that all women feel safe all of the time.