Andrew Gilligan in The Times - sex pests target unisex change rooms

[CAAKE]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sex-pests-target-women-in-mixed-changing-rooms-x3vw2lnv8

I don't know how to do a share token, sorry, but Andrew has nailed it again 👏

"The majority of alleged sexual attacks at Britain’s public swimming pools and sports centres occur in unisex changing rooms, according to data obtained by The Sunday Times.
Nine out of ten changing-room sexual complaints relate to incidents in unisex facilities — although they make up less than half of all provision.
Gender-neutral changing is growing as councils seek to cut staff costs and cater to transgender people. But one MP said it was a “magnet” for sex offenders and increased the risk to women and girls."

But this never happens!

Ever!

The data emerged four days after Darren Johnson, a serial voyeur, was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment after stalking schoolgirls in the unisex changing area of Putney leisure centre in southwest London. Johnson was caught after two 14-year-olds spotted his smartphone poking through a gap from the adjoining cubicle. When police raided his house, they found 150 files of photos taken at the leisure centre. A second voyeur, Anthony Gomes, was caught in the same unisex changing area a few weeks later

Johnson was co-founder of the children’s soft play chain Eddie Catz, where he also filmed his staff and customers via peepholes. His was one of two cases of voyeurism in unisex changing rooms to come up for sentence last week alone.

There were 134 complaints of sexual misconduct in sports centre and swimming pool changing rooms last year, councils said in their FoI responses. Of these, 120 related to incidents that took place in unisex changing rooms and 14 to incidents in single-sex changing rooms. As well as voyeurism, offences recorded in unisex facilities included harassment, sexual assault and rape

Here's a sharetoken: www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sex-pests-target-women-in-mixed-changing-rooms-x3vw2lnv8?shareToken=a36cd3cca958c161bdf7b0241542caa0

I'm stunned. Who could have anticipated this? About time women had the sense to stay home.

Share token if needed

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sex-pests-target-women-in-mixed-changing-rooms-x3vw2lnv8?shareToken=6a5363f8dc09878a92b6f52628e2d703

Thank you Empress!

And Timelady!

Interesting. And unsurprising :( Why won’t men just treat other people with respect?

But, but, I thought this never happened

Thanks for the share Empress. Comparison of the stats for uni-sex and single-sex provision is compelling. The evidence seems to be building by the day.

Here's a write up of the Eddie Katz voyeur story - he filmed women and children at a swimming pool and his own soft play premises, including members of staff.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6109857/Eddie-Catz-play-centre-founder-Darren-Johnson-filmed-girls-undressing-jailed.html

Good to see him use the word unisex as well, rather than gender neutral.

Andrew Gilligan - doing the Lord's work.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hold on, hold on...I thought this never happened.

Thank you Andrew - and David Davies - for pursuing this. The Wolverhampton example was particularly compelling. Keep digging, please.

I am sure our local pool with unisex changing village was on this FOIA shitlist. There are regular stories about voyeurism and related sex offences committed there in the local rag. I’ve had to talk to my boys to keep their eye out for camera phones under or over the partitions as they’re too old to share with me, which is really grim when you think about it. Likewise, I insist they always go to the mens loos together at that pool & are instructed to only leave together.

I see Paris Lees is finally shown up for the liar they are - "making bathrooms more trans friendly hasn't led to any problems" yet here's the stats showing that there is a problem.🤦🏻‍♀️

Good of David Davies to speak up, that will probably land him a shitstorm!

Well done Andrew.

More very necessary reporting from the times. Thanks to all involved in getting this to press. It feels like the tide is turning - information is getting out there, people are starting to listen & ask questions.

One of the commenters below the line is making me wish I had a log in so I could reply - "134 complaints is pretty much zero. That should be the real story". WTF??? Would he be ok about it if it were men who were usually the victims of this?

Meanwhile Channel 4 have a programme coming up next week called 'Spying on My Family'. Heavily promoted as well.

Thank you Andrew Gilligan for some sterling reporting there.

Andrew, you ROCK.