Breaking news: over the weekend there was another sexual assault. A teenager got into a car which she thought to be a rideshare. The 27 yr old predator was arrested and has been charged with numerous offences including false imprisonment, attempted rape and assault with INTENT to commit a sexual assault.
I highlight the word intent due to the high profile case that saw Jackson Williams walk a free man despite the sickening CCTV footage. He was charged with the same offence! In his case... it was that one word, INTENT, that was his ticket to freedom. Do we possibly see where this case could go?
Hearing of this assault has rattled me to my core. Where are we safe? Honestly.... where? Because it seems that no matter what we do, where we are they seem to be there too. Walking to work. At work. In an uber. At home. Waiting for the rideshare. In a park. Exercising. Walking home. These are our activities of daily living and what women were doing prior to their recent assault.
So I'll ask again.... Where are we safe????
This predator preyed on an innocent lady who thought she was getting into her ride home. It highlights unfortunately our need to remain hypervigilant of our surroundings. Reputable rideshares will have tracking devices available through your phone with the ID of your driver, the rego and the type of car that has been assigned to you so there is somewhat accountability for these drivers and hopefully no confusion of what car to get into.
There is also the option of using Shebah, a rideshare driven by women, offered only to women and children. By stating the above I am in no way placing any blame on this lady for getting into that car. She ABSOLUTELY had the right to make it home safely. It was due to HIS behaviour, not hers, that sadly she did not.
The brutal reality is.... these predators do walk amongst us and we don't know where. We know this. We can't change this so please do everything you can to keep yourself safe! And while you are doing your part in keeping yourselves safe I will continue to campaign for the systemic changes. For tougher penalties that will make it easier to prosecute those who commit these vile attacks.
I have never felt more unsettled and scared to be a woman than I do right now and I am raising 3 daughters in this scary world. It appears we can't be safe anywhere and we will not be offered the freedom of feeling safe until our Justice system stops showing such offensive, dangerous leniency. Set the precedent... stand by your words that such behaviour will not be tolerated and get them off our streets!!!!
Now more than ever must keep the pressure on those who have the power to make these changes. We must fight for our basic human right to live in a safer world where we are not seen as objects that are there for these vile creatures' sexual gratification. We are fighting for a world where we can walk our streets safely without the fear of ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time.
We are fighting for our right to not only feel safe, but be safe. We are fighting for the safety and protection of our future generations of women.