When violent, misogynistic threats are made online, women shouldn’t have to fight to prove they are serious.
I reported a public comment inciting sexual violence and provided screenshots. Yet I was told no crime would be recorded — because the victim hadn’t reported it herself, and because the offence was classed as ‘non-notifiable’ for statistics.
But this is not about statistics. It’s about safety, dignity, and the kind of society we want to live in.
I have now received confirmation from PCC John Campion that the misogynistic threats I reported are subject to a police investigation, and I am grateful to the officers progressing the case.
But one investigation after public pressure is not enough. Since speaking out, I’ve heard from far too many women who were dismissed or let down when reporting abuse to West Mercia Police. Their voices cannot be ignored.
West Mercia Police and the PCC’s office are White Ribbon accredited. That badge must mean more than words. It must mean every woman’s safety is taken seriously, and that threats of sexual violence are treated as crimes from the outset — not only after escalation.
I will keep pressing for change, because public trust in policing depends not on slogans but on action.
