Lesbian couple harassed by man on London Underground: ‘People laughed and did nothing’
Reports of sexual harassment on the London Underground have risen. (Getty)
A lesbian couple has shared the horrifying experience of being sexually harassed during a trip on the London Underground.
Charity worker Zan Moon said that she and her girlfriend were victims of sexual harassment after a man reportedly unleashed vile abuse on the couple.
She said that the 26-year-old was “licking his fingers” while making homophobic and sexually explicit comments.
“This guy was yelling extremely crude things, asking us to perform sexual things,” she told The Mirror.
“It was horrible and went on for a long time during the journey.
“People just looked at their phones or laughed and did nothing. It was humiliating.”
Since the incident, Moon said that she has petitioned London mayor Sadiq Khan to address the growing levels of harassment experienced on the capital’s tubes.
Data suggests that sexual offence reports to British Transport Police skyrocketed by 38 per cent during 2022, making the London Underground one of the most dangerous train lines for harassment.
At least 2,300 crimes were reported to local police forces – many of which involve upskirting, harassment and sexual assault.
The true number is likely to be much higher when taking unreported incidents into account.
An anonymous victim of assault, who used the pseudonym name Anna, also told The Mirror that she was sexually assaulted during a trip on the Jubilee line in February 2022.
According to reports, she said that a man continually objectified her and wouldn’t leave her alone.
“He kept saying how he ‘wanted to take me home and do things to me’,” she said.
Because of the lack of CCTV on London Underground trains, most crimes either go unreported or reports typically go cold very quickly.
Research from 2022 found that in the UK, anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime reports rose sharply by 32 per cent – the biggest yearly rise since record-keeping began.
According to BTP data, a third of sexual offences reported on UK train lines occurred on the Underground, while two in five crimes took place on Transport for London services.
A spokesperson for TfL said that the organisation was “committed to tackling sexual harassment” and that campaigns against hate crimes and harassment are currently present on TfL lines.
Anyone who has witnessed or experienced a hate crime is urged to call the police on 101, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit the True Vision website. In an emergency, always dial 999.
Rape Crisis England and Wales works towards the elimination of sexual violence. If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
