Latest news with #SuzyLamplughTrust
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Henbury attack on woman walking to work leads to arrest
A man is due in court after a woman was dragged off the street early on Friday and Somerset Police said the woman was walking to work between 06:30 and 07:00 BST when she was attacked on Passage Road in Henbury in north Bristol but "thankfully" managed to Lee Rogers, 35, of no fixed abode, was arrested later that morning, the force is in custody, charged with making threats to kill, kidnap, assault causing actual bodily harm and committing a criminal offence with intent to commit a sexual offence. Mr Rogers is due appear before magistrates in Bristol on Sgt Paul Melton added: "We know people will be concerned about such a worrying incident happening on their doorstep, but this sort of attack by a stranger really is very uncommon."She said the woman who was attacked would be offered support, and said people with concerns about their safety could find information on the Suzy Lamplugh Trust's website.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Park staff trained to tackle harassment of women
Park staff across London are being trained to spot and respond to harassment, as part of a new drive to make green spaces safer for women and girls. The training, developed by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the University of Leeds, will give staff the tools to step in when they see inappropriate behaviour. Members of the public can also sign up for the course. Campaigners say many women avoid parks, especially after dark, due to safety concerns. The charity which campaigns against stalking and harassment is also calling for better lighting, more staff, and for women to have a say in how parks are designed. "The kinds of behaviours this training would assist with include inappropriate comments, gestures, cat calling or even unwanted touching," said Saskia Garner from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. "Someone sitting down next to you on a bench and putting their arm around you – anything that makes you feel unsafe is not OK." Ms Garner added that many people want to help but are unsure how to act safely. "You wouldn't go in a park by yourself after dark or even with one other person because it doesn't feel safe," one woman told BBC London in the Regent's Park. Another added: "[Parks aren't] not very well lit... in the one where I live there are no street lamps." The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, set up after the 1986 disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, works to reduce violence and harassment through training and support. "People don't feel they can intervene," Ms Garner said. "They worry about making things worse. The women we spoke to said they didn't feel safe to challenge the harassment and didn't think anyone would help them." Violence against women and girls 'endemic' Most women feel unsafe in parks, research finds Park staff trained in handling harassment cases The scheme encourages the idea of "active bystanders" – people who feel confident to intervene without putting themselves at risk. "This training gives people safe tools to step in. Whether by distracting someone or helping to report what's happened. But it always prioritises your safety and what's right for that moment," Ms Garner added. Posters will soon appear in parks and community centres across London, encouraging people to sign up. Dr Anna Barker, from the University of Leeds, said: "We want to build a community of active bystanders… so people feel more confident and connected, and better able to act when they see harassment." The training is being rolled out using Keep Britain Tidy's Green Flag Award network across England and Wales, the University of Leeds said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Suzy Lamplugh Trust Keep Britain Tidy - Green Flag Award
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Park staff trained to tackle harassment of women
Park staff across London are being trained to spot and respond to harassment, as part of a new drive to make green spaces safer for women and girls. The training, developed by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the University of Leeds, will give staff the tools to step in when they see inappropriate behaviour. Members of the public can also sign up for the course. Campaigners say many women avoid parks, especially after dark, due to safety concerns. The charity which campaigns against stalking and harassment is also calling for better lighting, more staff, and for women to have a say in how parks are designed. "The kinds of behaviours this training would assist with include inappropriate comments, gestures, cat calling or even unwanted touching," said Saskia Garner from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. "Someone sitting down next to you on a bench and putting their arm around you – anything that makes you feel unsafe is not OK." Ms Garner added that many people want to help but are unsure how to act safely. "You wouldn't go in a park by yourself after dark or even with one other person because it doesn't feel safe," one woman told BBC London in the Regent's Park. Another added: "[Parks aren't] not very well lit... in the one where I live there are no street lamps." The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, set up after the 1986 disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, works to reduce violence and harassment through training and support. "People don't feel they can intervene," Ms Garner said. "They worry about making things worse. The women we spoke to said they didn't feel safe to challenge the harassment and didn't think anyone would help them." Violence against women and girls 'endemic' Most women feel unsafe in parks, research finds Park staff trained in handling harassment cases The scheme encourages the idea of "active bystanders" – people who feel confident to intervene without putting themselves at risk. "This training gives people safe tools to step in. Whether by distracting someone or helping to report what's happened. But it always prioritises your safety and what's right for that moment," Ms Garner added. Posters will soon appear in parks and community centres across London, encouraging people to sign up. Dr Anna Barker, from the University of Leeds, said: "We want to build a community of active bystanders… so people feel more confident and connected, and better able to act when they see harassment." The training is being rolled out using Keep Britain Tidy's Green Flag Award network across England and Wales, the University of Leeds said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Suzy Lamplugh Trust Keep Britain Tidy - Green Flag Award
BBC News
31-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
London park staff trained to tackle harassment of women
Park staff across London are being trained to spot and respond to harassment, as part of a new drive to make green spaces safer for women and training, developed by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the University of Leeds, will give staff the tools to step in when they see inappropriate behaviour. Members of the public can also sign up for the say many women avoid parks, especially after dark, due to safety charity which campaigns against stalking and harassment is also calling for better lighting, more staff, and for women to have a say in how parks are designed. "The kinds of behaviours this training would assist with include inappropriate comments, gestures, cat calling or even unwanted touching," said Saskia Garner from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust."Someone sitting down next to you on a bench and putting their arm around you – anything that makes you feel unsafe is not OK."Ms Garner added that many people want to help but are unsure how to act safely. "You wouldn't go in a park by yourself after dark or even with one other person because it doesn't feel safe," one woman told BBC London in the Regent's added: "[Parks aren't] not very well lit... in the one where I live there are no street lamps."The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, set up after the 1986 disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, works to reduce violence and harassment through training and support."People don't feel they can intervene," Ms Garner said."They worry about making things worse. The women we spoke to said they didn't feel safe to challenge the harassment and didn't think anyone would help them." The scheme encourages the idea of "active bystanders" – people who feel confident to intervene without putting themselves at risk."This training gives people safe tools to step in. Whether by distracting someone or helping to report what's happened. But it always prioritises your safety and what's right for that moment," Ms Garner will soon appear in parks and community centres across London, encouraging people to sign Anna Barker, from the University of Leeds, said: "We want to build a community of active bystanders… so people feel more confident and connected, and better able to act when they see harassment."The training is being rolled out using Keep Britain Tidy's Green Flag Award network across England and Wales, the University of Leeds said.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- BBC News
Cheshire Police harnessing AI to help officers catch stalkers
Cheshire Police has become the first force in the UK to use artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool during stalking investigations. The force hopes the technology will identify suspects' patterns of behaviours at a much earlier Ch Insp Danielle Knox, who leads its stalking unit, said that while AI would never "replace the human element", it would instead "enhance" what officers currently do."We have ethics committees and checks and balances in place to make sure the algorithms work in the way we want them to," she said. Currently officers in the county's Harm Reduction Unit (HRU), which investigates stalking and harassment allegations, review evidence unit typically deals with 10 cases of stalking each day. The force believes AI can analyse incident reports while alleged victims are still talking with police call information provided by the force's HRU and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, the algorithm will be "trained" to help detectives identify stalking aim is for the technology to be smart enough to flag up potential cases of stalking regardless of whether the word "stalking" is actually mentioned by victims or witnesses. 'Sifting through data' Cheshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Dan Price said he was confident the technology would "speed up investigations". He applied for £300,000 from the Police STAR (Science, Technology, Analysis and Research) Fund to pay for the new than teams of people "sifting through layers" of data, he said AI could identify patterns and behaviours and "build cases" at a much earlier said that where AI had been used to investigate different crimes in other parts of the country, it had been "25 times more effective than an individual detective".Currently three-quarters of cases which are dealt with by the HRU conclude with a suspect being is confident the technology will lead to even more convictions and "give victims more protection, faster". One victim, who the BBC has agreed to refer to as Amy because she remains fearful of her stalker, said she believed AI technology could have ended her ordeal said she was the victim of a prolonged campaign of harassment by someone she said it grew "in intensity" over time and she was harassed at work, received frightening phone calls at home, and was abused who has now returned to work but says she still suffers from the trauma of what happened to her, said the stalking culminated in her being violently assaulted."While no-one could have predicted a violent assault, what could've been picked up were elements of harassing behaviour," Amy told BBC News."Had things been picked up sooner, who knows? Things could potentially have been prevented." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. "Anything that allows these specialist people in their different roles to support victims is certainly something I would advocate," said who has now returned to work, said she still suffered from the trauma of what her stalker did to her. She said she finds it difficult to leave the house and form new work relationships."While no-one could have predicted a violent assault, what could've been picked up were elements of harassing behaviour," she said. "Had things been picked up sooner, who knows? Things could potentially have been prevented."If the programme is successful in Cheshire, it could be rolled out nationally by other polices forces.
