Flashing

[reportit]

Wayne Couzens is said to have flashed / exposed himself to women a few times
In the lead up to his murder of Sarah Everard.

It got me thinking...

How many of us have been victims of so called flashing? Did you report it? What happened?

It happened to me twice. Once as a child (13-14?) on the beach with friends.

Second time aged 18. It was reported and i went to court. He was convicted for indecent exposure with intent to assault.

Yes happened to me and No I didn’t report it

Yes happened to me and a friend when we were 10. We told our parents but didn’t report it to anyone else

It’s happened quite a few times to me, there was a an older teenage male on our estate growing up, who stood on his doorstep with his penis out every single day, when young girls walked past, he was never caught in the act by an adult.

Another time, a friend & I were walking home and a man walking towards us, unzipped his trousers, pulled his penis out and carried on walking by.

We never reported it.

Yes I reported it nothing ever came of it

Yes when I was about 13 and at the bus stop in school uniform and it wasn't just flashing, IYSWIM. Never said anything to anyone as I was too traumatised and didn't really have the words to tell my parents.

Yes, my friend and I, early twenties, turned corner on a walk through to see man masturbating

We were so shocked and could not believe what we were seeing! By the time we got to where he had gone and only his semen remained

Horrific when I think about it now, I wonder whether he moved on from this

Never reported

Yes, at the bus stop when I was a student. He was really threatening with it as well when I ignored him and I remember being quite scared.

Depressingly if I counted how many times I've been flashed it would be well into double figures.

Also my mum was groped on the bus and when she reported it the police asked her if she did Anything to encourage him. So personally I wouldn’t report stuff like this and risk being accused of encouraging/asking for it, they never did anything even though it was on a bus which would have had cctv

There used to be a man at my local bus station that would masterbate under his trench coat while standing near groups of young girls. The authorities never did anything because he had special needs . Thankfully the bus company eventually banned him from the premises.

I absolutely believe that voyeurism as a disorder - and often a crime - should be come down on extremely hard at the earliest stages to prevent escalation to serious surveillance, sexual and violent crime.

Voyeurism very often involves crimes around unconsented invasion of privacy or even/eventually contact and should be seen for the enormous red flag for future offending that it is.

We need to see it for what it is - severe intimidation and the threat of sexual violence.

A school friend and I reported it to the headmistress, after a man exposed himself by peeing in front of us. She told us off and accused us of making it up for ‘attention’.

When I was walking to college early one morning. Empty streets, just me, this man came walking straight towards me very aggressive and with his horrible dick out.

Didn’t report the second incident.

I’ve reported it every time. I might be able to walk away without it ruining my life but the next person may not. The police used to be very good about going looking for them & Victim Support used to call & check. I’ve been lucky, haven’t been subject to this offence for a while.

I once saw someone else being flashed.

Flashing often escalates into more serious crimes, and should always be reported.

Only by drunk people.

Yep, followed home one night and the man knocked on my door and flashed me.

Police did come round and take a statement but nothing ever came of it.

It happened to me when I was 14 with 2 friends. Friend’s mum rang the police, we had to go down to the station separately to be questioned.
One friend was shown a book of suspects and had to pick him out (his mugshot was in there). The policewoman who interviewed me was a complete bitch who had me in tears, asking (accusing) us of goading him into doing it (he was known in the area for flashing). He told the police his ex-wife had paid us to say he had done it 🙄
Nothing happened to him because of it.

I'm glad to say that it's never happened to me (am 60) or as far as I know, my daughters.

Yes twice. I I didn't report it. First time I was 14

On a train going to school, was going in late as had been for dental appointment so train carriage was nearly empty. I was about 12/13 just jumped off train , never reported or told anyone, it shook me up but would never get into an empty or nearly empty carriage again.

Twice - once I was walking with a male friend (we were about 14) and a car pulled over just ahead of us and the driver was masturbating as we passed.

Another time I was on my own, about 16 or 17, and a car did the same thing. The driver was wearing overalls, I thought he might be test driving a customer's car. Lovely.

I didn't report them, I may have told my sister about the second one but I can't remember.

I did report another incident that happened to me that was a bit more than flashing but nothing was done. The member of staff I reported it to in the place where it happened said "Mr Whatever would never do that, he's a regular". I went to the police and eventually had to chase them up to find out what was happening "His local force have had a word with him". Well, that's alright then

Yes when I was 16. Gave a statement to police but nothing came of it.

Yes, it's happened a few times on the tube. I never reported it. This may sound ridiculous but as it was many years ago, I didn't even realise it was the sort of thing that could be reported as the guy didn't approach me as such.