Only Three in Every 100 Violence Against Women Cases on London Transport Result in Charges

Thousands of reported offences, low charge rates and widespread underreporting are raising fresh questions about the safety of women and girls across London's transport network.

Just three per cent of recorded offences involving violence against women and girls (VAWG) on London's public transport network resulted in a charge or summons last year, according to newly published figures, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing police and transport authorities.

Data presented to the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee shows that almost 4,600 VAWG-related offences were recorded across the capital's transport network during the year. However, in nearly six out of every ten cases investigators were unable to identify a suspect, leaving many victims without justice.

The findings have intensified calls for further action from Transport for London (TfL) and the British Transport Police (BTP), with campaigners arguing that while progress has been made, confidence in the reporting process remains fragile.

Campaign Born From Personal Experience

Among those leading calls for change is campaigner Zan Moon, whose own experience of harassment on the London Underground prompted her to become an advocate for improving women's safety across the network.

Moon recalls being verbally abused while travelling with her girlfriend after a man allegedly subjected the couple to homophobic abuse, made sexually explicit comments and invaded their personal space.

"We called for help but nobody intervened," she said. "When I eventually reported it to British Transport Police, I didn't receive a response for a week."

By the time investigators reviewed the case, the CCTV footage had already been deleted under the network's then three-day retention policy, leaving little opportunity to pursue the offender.

Frustrated by the outcome, Moon publicly shared her experience and invited other women to tell their stories.

Within weeks she had received more than 20 pages of testimonies describing harassment and abuse experienced while travelling on London's transport system. Those accounts formed the basis of an open letter sent to London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, urging improvements to passenger safety.

Longer CCTV Retention Seen as Major Step Forward

One of the campaign's principal achievements was securing an extension to CCTV retention periods from three days to 30 days, giving victims significantly more time to report incidents and allowing investigators a better opportunity to gather evidence.

Moon believes the change has already strengthened the ability of police to identify offenders.

"CCTV is essential if we're going to identify perpetrators and bring them to justice. Having that evidence available for longer gives victims a far greater chance of being heard."

The issue has also been recognised nationally. In July 2024, the National Police Chiefs' Council and the College of Policing declared violence against women and girls a national emergency after more than one million related offences were recorded across England and Wales during 2022/23.

Central Line Improvements Underway

Safety concerns have also influenced investment decisions across the Underground.

TfL is currently delivering a £500 million Central Line Improvement Programme, due for completion in 2029, which will introduce CCTV cameras inside train carriages as well as on station platforms.

Historically, the Central line has been identified as one of the routes generating the highest number of sexual offence reports, partly because trains themselves lacked onboard surveillance.

Moon said she was previously informed that offenders deliberately targeted the line because of the absence of cameras inside carriages.

Many Incidents Never Reach Police

While thousands of offences are officially recorded each year, campaigners believe they represent only a fraction of the true picture.

London TravelWatch Chair Tricia Hayes told the Police and Crime Committee that around 80% of sexual offences on public transport are never reported.

According to Moon, many women have become so accustomed to harassment that they simply accept it as part of everyday travel.

"One of the biggest challenges is getting women to report what happens. Too many have normalised this behaviour because they've experienced it for so long."

She argues that every report helps police identify patterns, repeat offenders and geographical hotspots, allowing resources to be targeted more effectively.

Fear Is Changing Travel Behaviour

The wider impact extends beyond individual incidents.

Research presented to the London Assembly found that concerns about personal safety are influencing how women travel, with around 70% saying they avoid travelling at certain times or avoid some journeys altogether because they fear harassment or assault.

Transport consultant Susan Leadbetter, a specialist in gender-sensitive design at WSP, said crowded transport environments can make it difficult for victims to immediately recognise harassment, particularly when inappropriate contact can be dismissed as accidental.

By the time many women process what has happened, they have already left the scene, making investigations considerably more difficult.

Confidence in Authorities Remains Low

Despite a series of awareness campaigns, public confidence remains mixed.

A YouGov survey commissioned for the London Assembly found that 61% of respondents had little or no confidence in TfL's ability to tackle hate crime and violence against women and girls.

Confidence levels were similarly low for policing organisations, with more than half expressing limited trust in the British Transport Police and almost two-thirds saying the same of the Metropolitan Police.

Moon believes rebuilding trust requires more visible enforcement rather than relying solely on awareness campaigns.

"Hearing announcements isn't enough. Women need to see officers on the network, undercover patrols, staff stepping in when someone is being harassed and offenders being prosecuted."

She has also called for increased use of plain-clothes officers, wider mobile phone coverage across the Underground, more bystander intervention campaigns and greater numbers of female officers on patrol.

Partnership Working Continues

Since launching her campaign, Moon has worked directly with British Transport Police as a consultant on violence against women and girls, helping to shape initiatives including bystander awareness campaigns encouraging passengers to intervene safely when witnessing harassment.

She also believes greater investment is needed in preventative measures rather than responding only after offences occur.

"There is a huge amount of work taking place behind the scenes, but prevention has to become a bigger priority."

Moon also encourages passengers to make use of personal safety services such as the WalkSafe app and the Strut Safe support line when travelling alone.

Authorities Stress Zero-Tolerance Approach

Transport for London says tackling violence against women and girls remains one of its highest priorities.

Siwan Hayward, TfL's Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, said everyone should be able to travel without fear of harassment.

"The safety of women and girls is an absolute priority for us. Any instance of sexual harassment or assault is utterly unacceptable, and we are working hard with British Transport Police to eliminate this behaviour from our network."

TfL says it continues to support intelligence-led policing operations, targeted patrols and long-running public awareness campaigns designed to make the transport system increasingly hostile for offenders.

Passengers are encouraged to report incidents by texting British Transport Police on 61016 or by speaking to a member of station staff.

British Transport Police also says tackling violence against women and girls remains one of its principal operational priorities.

A force spokesperson said its detection rate for sexual offences is significantly higher than the national average but acknowledged more progress is needed.

"Our officers conduct intelligence-led patrols across London's rail network every day, both in uniform and plain clothes. While passengers may not always see them, they are working continuously to identify offenders, protect victims and ensure those responsible are brought to justice."