Teenagers have revealed sexual harassment they’ve endured in broad daylight in public.
One of the girls, 18-year-old Anais disclosed how she made a dash for the train door as it pulled into the station because the man who sat opposite her in the empty carriage had been masturbating over her since the last stop.
She’s one of thousands of girls – some as young as 14 – who experience intimidation, violence and sexual assault on a daily basis as they go to and from school, visit friends and family and use public transport in Britain.
As part of their ‘It’s not okay’ campaign, Plan International have today released shocking new statistics showing that 66% of girls aged 14-21 have received unwanted sexual attention or contact in a public place.
Of those, 15 per cent of girls are groped and touched every month and 1 in 10 have been victim to ‘upskirting’ – the act in which someone takes a photo up their skirt without their permission.
‘He followed me through the train masturbating’
Anais, 18, from London, says: “I was on the train going to meet my friends for a night out in the city when I noticed a guy sat opposite me was looking at me funny. I was all dressed up in my best heels and feeling great in my long, see-through skirt with shorts underneath.
But seeing this guy staring at me creeped me out and I stopped taking selfies and put my phone away.
It was then that I saw him angle his body towards the door a bit, and I saw that his hand was moving up and down and masturbating.
Horrified, I stood up to leave but he edged closer to me, his eyes locked into mine.
When the train pulled into the next station I jumped off – but he followed me.
As the train pulled away, I realised he was stood on the platform, still masturbating.
Everything was out but people just walked past him.
I ran out of the station, traumatised.
I didn’t think to report him, I assumed he would have left by the time the police arrived.
I had been cat-called before, but I had never expected to feel so violated in such a public space.”