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The Irish Sun

I was flashed by a man in fancy dress & cowered as another masturbated on my train – catcalling pervs are everywhere

Surrey Police's latest campaign hits very close to home for Fabulous' Associate Editor, Anna Roberts SICK MINDS I was flashed by a man in fancy dress & cowered as another masturbated on my train – catcalling pervs are everywhere SAT in my university house living room, with various mates, there was a bang on the window. Then another and another. 5 Anna Roberts has been subject to harassment with TWO horrifying incidents Credit: Supplied 5 Surrey Police have launched a campaign for catcallers to be caught Credit: Getty It was 2003, I was 19 and studying English at the University of Leeds. Suddenly a man wearing a wig and dressed as a schoolgirl - and he was clearly a man, perhaps in his 40s - emerged from the shadows, lifted up his skirt and started masturbating. It was more than two decades ago and the memory of the incident has been partially eroded by time. But from what I recall he continued, smirking under his moustache, until he was erect. Then, while we all watched wide-eyed, he ejaculated. Most read in Fabulous CHILLING PLOT Netflix-inspired stalker locked me up in bunker & raped me…sick deal saved me 5 Anna during her uni years at Leeds Credit: Supplied He laughed as his semen smeared the glass before turning his back and sauntering off. At the time I giggled, not really seeing the harm. I am not even certain we called the police and - because there were a few of us - didn't feel unsafe. Now, two decades on, I feel horrified by his behaviour and saddened that these sort of incidents still occur. This month two female officers from Surrey Police hit the streets in sportswear to show how often women get harassed while running - and they were "catcalled within minutes". A spokesperson for the force said: "These behaviours may not be criminal offences in themselves, but they need to be addressed." Inspector John Vale added: "One of our officers was honked at within ten minutes - then another vehicle slowed down, beeping and making gestures just 30 seconds later - that's how frequent it is. "Someone slowing down, staring, shouting - even if it's not always criminal - it can have a huge impact on people's everyday lives and stops women from doing something as simple as going for a run. "We have to ask: is that person going to escalate? Are they a sexual offender? We want to manage that risk early." 5 Undercover police officers have started a new campaign to crack down on men catcalling female runners in Surrey– by posing as joggers themselves Credit: LBC 5 PC Abby Hayward is one of the police officers who posed as a jogger in a bit to catch catcallers out Credit: LBC Surrey Police's findings follow on from a 2021 survey by UN Women UK, the UK arm of the UN dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. These revealed 97% of UK women aged 18-24 have experienced sexual harassment in public spaces. The figure was later amended to 86%. And although I know not all men indulge in this sort of behaviour, I can well believe it. Aged 23, I was on a train coming out of Birmingham New Street to one of its smaller stations when a man in full cycling gear got on. Looking at me directly in the eye he put his hands straight down his pants, and rubbed and rubbed until he was hard. He was mid-50s and looked like a professional. He had a wedding ring on. I was completely terrified and ran through the train until I reached a much more crowded carriage. In hindsight I wonder what his wife might think if she knew. Disgust? Embarrassment? Many, many women I know have experienced similar incidents - some more serious, some less. It's not my place to tell their stories. Sexual abuse in numbers 669,000 adults are sexually assaulted in England and Wales every year 1 in 5 women (8m) in the UK have been sexually abused 1 in 6 men (5m) in the UK have been sexually abused 1 in 20 children in the UK have been sexually abused Sexual abuse has been attributed to: 15% of all suicides in the UK 11% of all common mental health disorders in the UK 7% of alcohol dependence disorders 10% of drug dependence disorders 15% of eating disorders 17% of post-traumatic stress disorders (Source: Safeline) It would be reductive to claim all men were predators. This is plainly not true. I know many good men who would not dream of assaulting anyone and would squirm at the thought of catcalling a woman. But it's undeniable, based on stats, Surrey Police's video evidence, UN data, anecdotal evidence and my own experience, that some men still indulge in this behaviour - and not just in Surrey! A quarter of a century after a teen sat in her room watching a grown man with a moustache in a wig and skirt get himself off, it's time to realise women are real people who deserve respect.