Partners unite to protect women out in Liverpool at night

ORGANISATIONS across Liverpool are coming together to make sure women and girls are safe in the City, at night. Studies have found that the risk of sexual violence is high in locations associated with the night time economy; and women are 11 times more likely than men to be the victim of assault or rape. To tackle the issues, Liverpool City Council is working in partnership with Merseyside Police, the City's Universities and registered charity RASA Merseyside; the rape and sexual abuse support service.

They are leading on initiatives which include:-

►  A thought provoking, visual campaign which reinforces the message that women should not be pressured in to non-consensual sexual activity. These images telling women they will be taken seriously have been displayed on digital billboards across the City, on taxis as well as inside bars and nightclubs.

►  Post lockdown, the City Council's Alcohol and Tobacco Unit has resumed work with bar and club staff to train them to identify and prevent sexual assaults. By February 2020, 150 door and bar staff had been trained.

►  Merseyside Police's Operation Empower sees dedicated officers tasked with identifying potential perpetrators who are displaying signs of predatory behaviour, as well as preventing sexual violence in the City's night time economy.

►  RASA's It's not me it's you campaign addresses victim blaming culture by calling out perpetrators and reframing attitudes to victims, placing the blame back where it belongs; with the perpetrator.

►  In a commitment to make public transport safer, the partnership has applied for ₤270,000 of Safer Streets 3 Home Office which will be invested in promoting safer transport routes in and out of the City Centre.

The bid was developed in response to a consultation with women and girls in Liverpool which highlighted the real fear of sexual harassment and sexual violence, particularly when travelling in and out of the City Centre, at night. The findings reflect the national picture, as in 2019/20 the Crime Survey of England and Wales found 69% of women aged 16 and over said that they felt very or fairly safe walking alone after dark, in contrast to 89% of men.

The Safer Streets funding was released following the murder of Sarah Everard who was abducted while walking home in London earlier this year. It is expected a decision on the bid will be made in September 2021. All Liverpool organisations and residents are encouraged to share and like social media information to raise awareness of these issues and highlight where to go for support if needed.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, said:- "These are shocking statistics and we are committed to working with partners across the city to make sure women are safe in Liverpool; particularly now that life is slowly returning to normal and our night time economy has mostly opened up. We are striving to end these appalling crimes, and by using thought-provoking messaging on digital platforms we can educate people about sexual violence; the key is to focus on preventing these crimes from happening in the 1st place. Together we can raise awareness and hopefully reduce the number of assaults and make our streets safe for everyone. It's a sad reflection on our society that we have to do this, but everyone has the right to feel safe in our city and this campaign is an important step towards that goal."

Inspector Charlotte Irlam, Local Policing said:- "Liverpool is a vibrant City and we want to ensure women can enjoy a night out safely and without fear. In addition to our existing policing presence across the night time economy, Operation Empower sees specially trained officers tasked with identifying potential perpetrators as well as being aware of anyone who may be vulnerable to ensure any immediate safeguarding concerns are met. As a society we need to take a strong stance against attacks on women who should be empowered to live their lives without fear of sexual objectification, harassment, or physical and mental abuse. Together with our partners, Merseyside Police is actively addressing the fears being raised about violence against women, and we are trying to address them, with the ultimate aim of making our streets safer for women and girls. If women are subjected to rape and sexual abuse we and our partners will investigate and treat victims with dignity and respect."

Lorraine Woods, Operations Manager at RASA Merseyside said:- "Within the context of sexual assault, victim blaming is the term used to describe an attitude that suggests it is the victim rather than the perpetrator who bears responsibility. It's important to understand is that sexual violence is never, ever the fault of the person who experiences it. Sexual violence happens because someone chooses to use harmful behaviours, not because someone is wearing a certain item of clothing, said a certain thing, or was in a certain place."

Key contacts:-

►  Know-Means-No.Co.UK/

►  RasaMerseyside.Org or call:- 01516661392

►  In an emergency please contact:- 999.
 

Teenage girl sexually assaulted on train

OFFICERS investigating a sexual assault on board a service travelling between Liverpool Lime Street and Blackpool North Stations are releasing images in connection. At just after 8pm, on Sunday, 8 July 2021, a group of teenage girls were travelling back from a day of shopping in Liverpool. While waiting on the platform for the train, a group of men were looking in their direction and winking. Both groups then boarded a train heading to Blackpool North Railway Station. On the train the men started threatening the group of young girls and sexually assaulted 1 of them. If you recognise them, or have any information, please contact BTP by texting:- 61016 or calling:- 0800405040 quoting reference 557 of 08/08/21. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on:- 0800555111.
 

Liverpool One to host permanent Tourist Information centre

GROSVENOR has announced Liverpool ONE is the new location of the City's Tourist Information Centre (TIC), which forms part of the official network of England wide tourist offices recognised by Visit England. The TIC opened on 9 August 2021, and is located in Liverpool ONE's former Information Centre, on Wall Street, which was reconfigured for its new role as the focal point for visitors to Liverpool City Region. The Liverpool ONE TIC will be staffed by 4 experts from Liverpool City Council.

The Tourist Information Centre will act as a 1 stop shop for visitors, offering a host of services including:- City and event information, tour and attractions tickets, City and shopping maps and a range of City of Liverpool merchandise.

Liverpool's Cabinet Member for Culture and Visitor Economy, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:- "Tourism has long played a key role in Liverpool City Region's economy, with visitors from across the world seeking to enjoy the City's unique atmosphere, heritage and range of facilities. Liverpool ONE is a vital part of the offer and attracts a huge amount of people, so it made sense to create a new Tourist Information Centre in the heart of the destination. While there is a lot of work to do to rebuild tourism in the region, we are in the perfect location with the right partner for us to begin that journey."

Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool ONE, added:- "Throughout the Pandemic, the City has worked together to ensure everyone thrives in the long term. This new partnership with Liverpool City Council and Visit England is emblematic of that approach. We are delighted to be the new home of the Liverpool City Region Tourist Information Centre and proud to be playing a central role in welcoming back visitors to the City."

The launch of the Liverpool ONE TIC coincides with the City Region rebuilding its significant tourism economy, led by a new summer campaign, Get Away to it All, which is aimed at attracting visitors from a 2 hour drive time.