Police are encouraging people to report non-contact sexual offences such as exposure and voyeurism as part of a campaign launched in Gloucestershire.
The It Does Matter campaign launched at Newent Community School yesterday (Monday 12 October).
It Does Matter was developed with campaigner Lisa Squire from Buckinghamshire, in memory of her daughter Libby.
Lisa, Chair of the It Does Matter charity, gave assembly presentations to more than 200 sixth form and year 10 pupils.
The campaign aims to educate, increase awareness and encourage reporting in relation to non-contact sexual offences.
Lisa pictured below during one of the talks at Newent Community School
Picture of Lisa provided below
In 2019 a man who had an extensive history of escalating non-contact sexual offences raped and murdered Libby, who was a 21-year-old university student at Hull at the time.
This history included incidents of exposing his genitals to women, him masturbating in public and watching women through their windows. He would then stare back at women who saw what he was doing.
As part of Lisa’s talks, students learned about the impact of non-contact sexual offences including exposure, voyeurism and harassment.
She also talked through why these behaviours should never be dismissed or minimised, and the importance of reporting concerns.
Gloucestershire Police Detective Chief Superintendent Kerry Paterson said: “Some people may think that these types of offences aren’t that serious, and that they don’t want to bother the police with reporting them, however we feel the complete opposite.
“We know that non-contact sexual offences can be a pre-cursor for a perpetrator to go on and commit other offences, such as rape and murder, and this is horrendously what happened in the case of Libby Squire.
“If you report something to us it enables us to investigate it and we can build an intelligence picture, better understand patterns of offending and try to identify the offender.
“This may be the first time we hear anything about an individual, but it may be the fifth offence they have committed that day.
“Non-contact sexual offences have historically been overlooked as a form of male violence against women and girls, and we will pursue perpetrators who commit these crimes.”
The It Does Matter campaign is now running across the county through a range of channels including social media, bus advertisements, radio, digital advertising boards and Freshers’ events.
Lisa said: “When Libby was refused entry to a club, her friends sent her home in a taxi. She was dropped off at home, but she did not go inside.
“The stranger who attacked Libby had a history of non-contact sexual offending, and he had purposefully gone out that evening looking for someone to target.
“At one point Libby had been seen walking and sitting on a bench alone, she was clearly upset and likely suffering from hypothermia. There were 18 people who later contacted the police to say they had seen Libby that night, and the man who attacked her was number 19.
“We need people to be active bystanders and call for help when something doesn’t feel right, and check in or step in when safe to do so.
“What’s also important is that people know exposure and voyeurism are serious offences, and reporting incidents to the police can help them join the dots and see someone’s escalating behaviour and the risk they present.”
Libby pictured below
Ben Dumayne, Headteacher of Newent Community School, said: “We are proud to have hosted the launch of the It Does Matter campaign at Newent Community School and Sixth Form.
“It was a powerful and important opportunity for our students to understand that non-contact sexual offences are serious, that they should never be dismissed or normalised, and that reporting them can make a real difference.
“Lisa’s visit brought home the importance of recognising inappropriate behaviour, having the confidence to speak up and understanding the role we all have in keeping others safe.
“We want our students to leave school not only with the knowledge and ambition to succeed, but also with the courage to challenge behaviours that are wrong and the compassion to look out for one another.
“I am grateful to Lisa for sharing her daughter Libby’s story with such honesty and courage, and to Gloucestershire Police for bringing this vital campaign into our school.”