Making Kingston safer for women: A message from the Leader of Kingston Council

"We are shocked and saddened by the murder of Sarah Everard. Women and girls have a right to live a life free of violence, and over the next couple of months we will redouble our efforts to protect the safety of women and girls in the borough.

"The council has been working closely with the Police and other partners to ensure local support services are accessible to victim survivors and that work is being done on a local level to tackle sexual violence. Within Kingston the safety of all women and girls has always been a high priority for us and that’s why we are committed to safeguarding and preventing harm.

"We fully recognise that offering safety advice for women and support to victim survivors is not the answer to ending male violence against women; however victim’s services are vital in protecting and safeguarding to reduce repeat offences. Prevention is crucial in order to see long lasting change, and we are keen on raising awareness of this. As part of this effort, the council has established a COVID-19 Recovery Working Group with the Police and local specialist services and relevant partners to create an effective action plan around messaging, effective referral pathways, hearing the voice of the survivor, tactical and on the ground work as well as upskilling local professionals through training.  

"It’s not women’s responsibility to keep themselves safe -  it is the responsibility of men not to  pose a danger to women, and it is everyone’s responsibility to report any concerns and help keep every woman and girl in Kingston safe."

Councillor Caroline Kerr, Leader of Kingston Council