New police unit to challenge 'predators' targeting women in London bars
In an attempt to crack down on predatory behaviour at night, officers are being deployed at party hotspots in the hope to reduce the number of assaults, spikings and worse.
It comes as the UK is seeing an 'epidemic' of violence against women and girls, with the number of number of rapes and sexual assaults have increased from 34,000 to 123,000 across the country in 2023-2024.
Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zhou was jailed for life for drugging and raping women at parties in London, with police believing he could have attacked more than 50 women.
Craig France, 34, was jailed for 10 years in March after he was found to have lured young women to 'afterparties' at his house where he would subject them to sex attacks while they were 'completely out of it'.
And it's not just sexual crimes. In March, men 'armed with machetes' tried to storm Mayfair nightclub Tabu after they were denied entry.
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Even celebrities have been accused of bringing violence to London's nightclub scene, with Chris Brown in court last week charged with 'attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent'.
The announcement of the new specialised patrols came alongside the government's £53 million pledge to target dangerous offenders.
Domestic abuse perpetrators who are deemed to pose the highest risk 'will be forced to change their behaviour' according to the Home Office.
This includes 'intensive' one-to-one case management for up to a year, and protections orders to keep offenders away from those they hurt. More Trending
The scheme – which first began to be piloted in 2016 – reportedly saw physical abuse cut by 82% and sexual abuse down by 88%.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'The roll out of these new programmes means the relentless pursuit of perpetrators who pose a risk to women and girls whether they operate at home or on the streets – and intervening early to prevent further harm.
'Through our mission to make our streets safer, we will take every opportunity to challenge and change dangerous behaviours, intensively monitor and manage perpetrators who pose a risk, and give victims the support they need to take back their lives.'
In March, Westminster Council began requiring all new licensed venues to assess risks to women's safety.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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