Government ministers have indicated today (July 21) that the acts of wolf whistling and cat calling could soon be made illegal in England and Wales.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government would be “taking action” on a range of safety concerns, with new proposals unveiled as part of the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.
“We will continue to look at gaps in existing law and how an offence for sexual harassment could address those,” Ms Patel told The Times.
The new strategy is said to have been published against a recent backdrop of dismal conviction rates for rape offences. According to the i, less than 2% of cases lead to a conviction last year even though the number of reported incidents are on the rise.
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It has been revealed that last year, just 1,439 suspects were convicted of rape and other sexual offences.
This is despite an estimated 128,000 people coming forward with reports.
Writing in the Times, amid reported plans to tackle wolf whistling and cat calling, the Home Secretary added: “We are taking action on street harassment [and] I am committed to ensuring not only that the laws are there, but that they work in practice and women and girls are confident their concerns will be taken seriously.
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“It is important that the police enforce the law and give women the confidence that if they report an incident, it will be dealt with.”
Although the Home Secretary has indicated that the government will move to crack down on public sexual harassment, immediate new legislation is not expected to be introduced.
Rose Caldwell – Chief Executive of Plan International UK – said she was “very disappointed” that the strategy does not include the quick implementation of legislation on public sexual harassment, adding: “Without a new law, millions of girls will be left unprotected.
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“However, the government has recognised that this is an urgent issue that needs more attention [and we urge it] to quickly deliver its promise to review gaps in the legislation – and then it must commit to a new Public Sexual Harassment Law.”
Prominent campaign group Our Streets Now – which is committed to “ending public sexual harassment in the UK by changing culture and creating a criminal offence” – has also released a statement on Twitter in response to the plans.
Our Statement on the Government's Violence against Women and Girls strategy.
This is a big first step in recognising the radical changes needed to address public sexual harassment.
Andrea Simon – Director of End Violence Against Women Coalition – said: “The seriousness and scale of violence against women warrants radical change and a whole systems approach which has prevention at its heart [and] we welcome the recognition of this in the government’s new strategy.”
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She continued: “However, to make this a strategy that delivers change, there must be accountability and the right level of funding that follows all aspects of the work.
“There is a distinct lack of resourcing here that cannot be ignored.”
We welcome the focus on prevention of VAWG in the #VAWGStrategy press notice, but are concerned that the actions fall short on ambition and funding https://t.co/2dHOPgJPVH
Also in response to the new proposals, Shadow Home Office Minister Jess Phillips said: “The services and support required to end violence against women and girls cannot run on warm words alone.
“How are we in a situation where we have better protections for statues than for women?”
“The government should step up to the plate and take action rather than more warm words,” she concluded.
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A number of other measures announced in the strategy this afternoon include increasing support for victims and survivors, reversing declines in conviction rates, and reducing attacks, as well as further pledges for a new 24/7 rape and sexual assault helpline and two new ‘Violence Against Women and Girls Transport Champions’ who will look at how protection can be offered on public transport.
It has been confirmed that a new ‘StreetSafe’ app will also be launched so women and girls can record areas they feel unsafe.
Featured Image – Pxfuel
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65-year-old stabbed in park for refusing to hand over Range Rover keys
Daisy Jackson
A 65-year-old male has been stabbed in an attempted robbery in a Bolton park on Sunday afternoon.
The victim was approached by two males in dark clothing wearing face coverings at around 2pm on 2 October, in Longsight Park.
One was armed with a machete, the other with what is believed to be a dagger.
They threatened the man for the keys to his Range Rover, but when he refused to hand them over, he was stabbed twice in the stomach.
Emergency services were scrambled to the scene in Bolton after a man was stabbed. Credit: North West Air Ambulance
The slash-style injuries required hospital treatment, and both police helicopters and air ambulances attended the scene.
Both suspects are believed to be white males aged around 20 years old, of slim builds of 5’8″ and 5’10”.
One – the male carrying a machete – was wearing a black baseball cap, black jogging bottoms and black tracksuit, with a ski mask covering the lower part of his face.
The other had on a black baseball cap with a distinctive red trim, black jogging bottoms, black tracksuit top and a full-face balaclava.
A 15-year-old male was later arrested at the location, and has been bailed pending further enquiries.
GMP officers in the Bolton district are keen to hear from anyone with information that could lead to the suspects described above.
Detective Inspector, Stuart Woodhead of Bolton’s CID said: “We understand this will be a worrying incident for those in the local area, but rest assured we are working hard to identify the two suspects and continue to increase patrols as a result to offer visible reassurance.
“This happened in broad daylight in a public place, so we would urge anyone with details either of the incident or who may know who the two suspects are to come forward in confidence as our investigation continues and we look at all possible lines of enquiry.”
The GMP statement added: “If anyone has any information they are urged to ring the district direct on 0161 856 5757. Alternatively details can be shared via the LiveChat portal on gmp.police.uk or anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Featured image: Geograph
News
A Polish vodka and dumpling festival is coming to Manchester
Georgina Pellant
Independent Polish restaurant Platzki is bringing back its famous vodka and pierogi festival to Manchester this week, and we couldn’t be more excited for some hearty dumpling fare.
Notorious for its top-tier filled pierogi, which are made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savoury or sweet filling and cooking in boiling water, Platzki is already something of a go-to for fine Polish food in Manchester.
But now, traditional European dumpling fans have another reason to get themselves down as the restaurant will be focusing almost entirely on pierogi for two days this week.
Platzki’s famous pierogi. / Image: The Manc Eats
Image: Platzki
Taking place across Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 October from 3pm until sell-out (or at 9pm, whichever comes first), diners will have the chance to try Platzki’s perfect homemade pierogi in a range of mouth-watering flavours.
There will be plenty of different fillings to try, including some brand new vegetarian pierogi for non-meat eaters.
That’s not all, either. There’ll also be a midweek vodka tipple on standby as Platzki shows off its huge range of favourite Polish vodkas.
Think salted caramel vodka, strawberry vodka, golden black cherry vodka, hazelnut vodka and delicious cherry-chocolate vodka, all of which are (as we know too well from experience) dangerously drinkable.
Each day, the team will be making hundreds of pierogi for local dumpling lovers to sample.
Karkówka roasted pork neck with spinach egg noodles. / Image: The Manc Eats
Karkówka roasted pork neck with spinach egg noodles. / Image: The Manc Eats
Elsewhere, they will also be serving up some of their favourite dishes from the menu including a hearty sausage stew with freshly-baked bread, and melt-in-the-mouth karkówka roasted pork neck with spinach egg noodles.
A fixture in the city since 2018, Platzki has built up a reputation for serving an interesting list of Polish vodka and wine alongside traditional dishes like dumplings, pork neck and meatballs.
It has a gorgeous plant-filled restaurant and a bright terrace that backs onto the Great Northern Warehouse, giving diners views over the Great Northern Square as they dig into some of the best Polish food in the city.
To find out more about this week’s dumpling festival, follow Platzki on Instagram here.
The Manc -
21st July 2021 
