Currently the UK does not allow any form of self defence apart from a Rape Alarm. I bought a self defence kit including an alarm, they are useless & rapes or sexual assault often take place in a secluded area where no one can hear rendering an alarm that is already too quiet, useless. 

A self defence spray, such as pepper spray, is another item which is illegal to carry in the UK, despite it being considered a common self defence item in many Countries that care about protecting the most victimised. Pepper spray is a non-lethal and effective means of protection & increasingly popular with women, students, and elderly people.

I believe the following countries have allowed their citizens to protect themselves with this non lethal spray.

North America  (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
Europe  (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Russia, Rest of Europe)
Asia-Pacific  (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)
LAMEA  (Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Argentina, Rest of LAMEA) 

Why does the UK continuously turned this down?

The rising crime rates & attacks mainly on women (1 in 5 women) & men (1 in 18) but now also our kids (1 in 6) are no longer safe in the public space so join me in calling for a change in the Law by signing this Petition.

Those making these decisions in Parliament, against the right to defend are often not affected in anyway because they are not out on the streets, walking home from a late night shift or can't afford the rising cost of taxi's or having to take the night bus, then walking home from your stop, it is no longer safe, those in Government do not live that life. 

Approximately 1 in 4 people working in London is a night-time worker and 1 in every £4 spent in London is spent at night. That's a huge contribution to the Economy, why would the Government not allow their workers to protect themselves from simply getting home at night?

In the whole of the UK 27% of the workforce about 8.7 million people, work at night. Let that sink in, knowing that at night people are at risk of crime, how are we not allowed to protect ourselves without us risking getting arrested for using something that would not harm the perpetrator but could save you from attempted rape, sexual assault or even death. The worry of, it may be misused, over the worry of, it could save many people sounds ridiculous. How have another Countries overcome this reasoning? How did they work out the benefit of allowing this form of self defence & how do our Governments on both sides not come to the same conclusions?

Recently Keir Starmer announced he was going to put some measures in place. putting up signs is like putting a plaster on a broken leg. It won't help. Yes we welcome more police presence but if no one gets punished for the crime once arrested & no one can protect themselves it won't stop them.

Published- 'Nov 2024: - Police chiefs, industry executives and transport bosses called to Downing Street to crack down on spiking and protect women and girls
Spiking will become a new criminal offence
Commitment to halve violence against women and girls is central to the government’s mission to make our streets safe'.

All great news but a commitment to half? Where is the commitment to try & stop this by all means necessary, fully? It also feels like passing over the responsibility, training people to safe guard women while doing their job, is 1:  A huge responsiblty & complete job change description on any one individual. 2: Will not change anything from the minute we are out on the streets walking alone or some cases even with a friend has not stopped an attack. I have been spiked (not in this Country), followed & in certain parts of the UK literally walk with eyes at the back of your head, on high alert & high stress levels. I was almost mugged walking to the gym last October, I presume for my phone & to my relief & delight they were taken down by undercover police right in front of me on Shoreditch Park. I appreciate all measures of change to help tackle the problem but members of parliament seems detached from everyday peoples reality of the need to protect ourselves where the measures don't work.

Apparently 94% of rape/sexual Assault victims are women. Most victims do not report it because most cases get no convictions, I imagine many men would not report it for the stigma, many women won't report for the trauma or the system can take 2 years for it to be addressed. If the Legal systems lack of prosecuting stops people coming forward can we please have the right to protect ourselves from this happening in the first place? Let's stop it as much as humanly possible & not a target of 50% less.

In the UK 69,958 rapes recorded by police from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024. The numbers will be a lot higher & we are not allowed to have any form of protections. It is unacceptable to feel so unsafe on our streets. According to your target of 50% less, that would still leave 34,979 rape cases. unacceptable. 

I have worked in the nightlife industry my whole life, it makes millions, creates jobs, we have to have a duty of care towards the workers. I no longer feel safe getting home an after a gig or an evening or night out. It stops especially females from wanting to live those shared experiences in a club or cocktail bar for how unsafe they feel. That is why we have seen a rise of afternoon brunches in places like London. They go out in the afternoon to party so they can still take public transport home & feel safer because it is early.

We have to protect the night-time economy, many health & social workers, hospitality workers & even unsuspecting tourists visiting. Regarding the social aspect of night life, clubs, bars, pubs, restaurants,  it is an escapism, a need, it helps counteract the stresses from work, it is good for mental health, for the music industry, it is a right of passage for students & young people, it is sharing space & time. So important on every level socially & economically.  So please people all over the UK join me in signing this petition, the crime on every level is up alarmingly, everyone you meet on the street talks about it & feels it, we should be able to defend ourselves in a place like the UK, other Countries allow their people to protect themselves, why doesn't the UK?

UK Government I ask that you revise the laws regarding non-lethal ways we can defend ourselves. The most effective worldwide seems to be pepper spray, others have asked for this change in the past & it was turned it down please reconsider. 

Please join me in asking the Government in the wake of rising crime which is ruining our mental health State, our happiness, our right to feel safe, our right to have fun, our right to live stress free, our right to party, our right to shop & our right to enjoy our cities, towns, villages, many women & men are living with a self induced 'curfew' for fear of the what if.  I ask for a debate in Parliament to review the numbers, the harm & can we look for a solution?

Thank you in advance for your considerations.