It's been a week since I pitched No Flashing Matter, and since then I've confirmed two really great interviews, submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to British Transport Police and created this blog. Here, you can expect to see behind-the-scenes content, interview snippets and more as I produce this radio documentary.
No Flashing Matter was majorly inspired by the brilliant reporting by Sophie Gallagher from the Huffington Post. After being sent 120 unsolicited explicit images via Airdrop while on the tube in 2017, Sophie has been a leader in media coverage of an offence that is increasing year on year, but still has no law against it in England and Wales. We will be hearing more on Sophie's story and her work in the coming weeks.
Statistics on Cyber Flashing are, at the moment, few and far between. The first reported case occurred in London in 2015, and British Transport Police fulfilled a FOI request in April last year that showed between May 2017 an April 2018, there were 4 recorded crimes of Cyber Flashing in England, Scotland and Wales. This was an increase of 100% on the previous year, but no arrests were made.
I decided to submit my own FOI to Transport Police, but this time asking for the number of reports received in England and Wales of Cyber Flashing between May 2018 and April 2019. I also asked for the number of arrests and prosecutions or cautions from in the same period, as well as the number of cases where a suspect was interviewed but no action was taken. Expect to hear about the results soon.
What's important to keep in mind, however, is those who have been targetted may feel they can't report what happened. This could be because they don't see it as a serious crime, or maybe because they don't feel they're going to be taken seriously. This is a question I'll be putting to David Ormerod QC from the Law Commission, the body that were instructed by Parliament to review the law as it applies to 'Taking, making and sharing intimate images without consent'.
Stay tuned to this blog, and social media for the latest on this project.
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