Molestation victim in London appeals for surveillance cameras installed in all subway cars

Alice Evans, BBC News

A 23-year-old woman who was sexually assaulted on the London Underground calls for security cameras to be installed in all carriages.

Sarah (pseudonym) was grabbed around the waist by a man on March 19 inside a train on the Central Line.

One in four cases of sexual assault on the subway occurs on the Central Line. Unlike other lines, the trains on the Central Line are not equipped with security cameras.

Transport for London (TfL), which operates the Underground, has admitted that the lack of security cameras is a "problem".

Sarah was hit on a commuter train to Oxford Circus. At first, she thought it was the bag being rubbed against it, she said.

"Then he grabbed me by the waist. The man behind me was rubbing his erect genitals against me."

"My body was completely frozen. I couldn't move."

"Common things"

The male perpetrator was forced to leave Sarah when the number of passengers increased at the next station.

Sarah, a public relations resident living in Romford, east London, got off at Liverpool Street station and looked for the police.

However, an official from the British Transport Police (BTP) told Sarah it was unlikely the man would be caught.

"They said, 'That's a common occurrence. We don't have surveillance cameras in the car, so I think it's okay to try,'" Sarah said.

"If you know it's common, why don't you put surveillance cameras in your car?"

Sarah said she had written to London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, but had yet to receive a response.

A TfL spokesperson said: ``While we believe having CCTV cameras in our cars makes sense, we know that many sexual assault incidents take place in particularly crowded cars, especially during peak hours. ' explained.

"It is difficult to identify people and actions during congestion. In other words, it is more meaningful to install surveillance cameras inside the station."

Of the 11 lines of the London Underground, there are only three lines that do not have surveillance cameras: the Central line, the Piccadilly line, and the Bakerloo line.

TfL says it plans to install cameras on the Central line by 2023 and on the Piccadilly line in the '2020s'. On the other hand, there are no plans to install one on the Bakerloo Line.

The remaining 8 lines are relatively new and the vehicles are state-of-the-art, so they are equipped with surveillance cameras.

London MP Sharn Berry said the installation of surveillance cameras in subway trains should be a "first priority".

"It would be very concerning if the perpetrators were targeting routes without surveillance cameras."

A BTP spokeswoman said an investigation into Sarah's perpetrators was ongoing. Sarah said the assailant was 188 cm tall, had short dark hair and a pockmarked face.

The incident occurred between Stratford and Mile End stations and the perpetrator was wearing a gray suit.

Reports of sexual assault on the subway have increased after the BTP launched a campaign to urge victims to come forward.

Sarah said she was still "shocked and shaken" by the incident, and said she felt uneasy about taking public transport.

"I can't believe someone felt I had the right to do that," Sarah said.