Police tackle violence against women and girls with assembly at Luton high school

Students in Luton have been taught about public sexual harassment as part of Bedfordshire Police’s new approach to tackling male violence against women and girls (MVAWG)..

Pupils at Putteridge High School had an assembly from Luton All Women’s Centre featuring information came from the Home Office’s Safer Streets initiative.

And two men have been arrested as Bedfordshire Police’s Operation Bourneville – the new proactive approach to violence against women – began this week.

The operation will see special resources deployed to incidents such as domestic abuse, stalking and harassment, sexual offences; all crime types which disproportionally affect women. Between April 2022 and March this year there were 3,131 recorded MVAWG offences in the county.

Last week marked Stalking and Harassment Awareness week. Four people were arrested for domestic-related incidents during the week. Police also hosted a live webinar with 170 people asking their questions about stalking and harassment.

Superintendent Rachael Glendenning said: “We are trailing this proactive MVAWG operation as a way of responding to crimes such as rape and sexual offences, stalking and domestic abuse, all of which disproportionately affect women.”

She added: “In Bedfordshire, we have a zero-tolerance approach to these offences, and as a force, we remain committed to tackling MVAWG and breaking down the confidence of perpetrators and seeking justice.

Anyone wishing to report any instance of male violence against women and girls can get in touch with the police on 101. Always call 999 in an emergency. Alternatively, you can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.