DEVON and Cornwall Police has launched a campaign to raise awareness about non-contact sexual offenses.

Have you ever experienced someone exposing themselves and dismissed it as a joke? Or felt the unsettling gaze of someone watching you getting changed, only to brush it off as harmless? Think again, you may have been a victim of a non-contact sexual offence.

The force’s latest campaign is hoping to raise awareness for these kind of situations and how to report them.

A spokesperson from Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Non-contact sexual offences, such as exposure and voyeurism, have been overlooked in the past as a form of violence against women and girls - but it’s time to change that. Often not considered serious enough to report by victims, these crimes can be an indicator of escalating criminal behaviour, which may lead to a serious sexual offending, including rape, sexual assault and even murder.”

Last year, 540 offences of non-contact sexual offences were reported in Devon and Cornwall. The most common offences reported were indecent exposure and sharing indecent images to people. The most prolific offenders were between the ages of 26 and 45. Most reports of these crimes came from victims under the age of 18, though reports were received from all age groups

In light of the tragic murders of Libby Squire in 2019, Sarah Everard in 2021, and Zara Aleena in 2022, all of whom were victims of men with histories of non-contact sexual offending, the importance of addressing these crimes is being increasingly recognised, says the force.

Data from the Office for National Statistics in 2023 revealed that over 12,000 exposure and voyeurism offences have been recorded annually by police in England and Wales since April 2021. However, this represents fewer than 6 per cent of the estimated number of total incidents, highlighting the significant under-reporting of non-contact sexual offences.

A recent report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for UN Women found that 71 per cent of women in the UK have experienced sexual harassment in a public space, including though not limited to, sexual exposure.

Shockingly, 95 per cent of these incidents were not reported to the police, with more than half of women saying they did not report as they didn’t believe the incident was serious enough.

“We want to make it clear: it is serious and it does matter,” says detective superintendent Nicky Seager.

“That’s why we’re launching a new campaign – ‘It Does Matter’ – as part of our ongoing work to ensure women and girls feel safe in the Devon and Cornwall which aims to educate and empower people to report non-contact sexual offences.

“This campaign has been developed to target ages 18 to 24 years, but applies to people of all ages.

“Many women and girls will have been subjected to non-contact sexual offences during their lives. This is likely to include your family and friends. Many will have brushed it off as something that happens to all women, or found that others have laughed at their stories, making them question how serious it is.

“We are launching the ‘It Does Matter’ campaign to encourage those who have been subjected to offences such as indecent exposure and voyeurism, to absolutely report to the police.

“Any information shared will assist us understand patterns of offending and help to identify and locate individuals. This will help prevent further offending and protect people from harm.

“We strongly urge people to provide as much detail as possible when reporting non-contact sexual offences online. Detailed information, including descriptions of offenders, significantly improves our ability to route the report to the appropriate department. It really does matter.”

Rebecca (not their real name), aged 18, a local college student, said: “My friends and I didn’t know that this sort of thing was a crime. We often feel that we just have to put up with this sort of behaviour, that it’s part of growing up or being a woman.

“Sometimes we feel like it’s just us and it doesn’t happen to others and we just have to put up with it and cope with the upset and uncomfortable feelings it causes. Those feelings shouldn’t go unnoticed. Cat calling and upskirting and other things should be reported.

“No matter how small it seems or that we are told it doesn’t matter - it does matter.”

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “Any form of sexual violence, whether physical or non-physical, is unacceptable. Unwanted sexual behaviour, including voyeurism, indecent exposure, spiking and upskirting, is never funny – it is extremely serious, and it is against the law.

“As Police and Crime Commissioner, I am committed to stamping out these kinds of behaviour that all too often lead to even more serious offending which can have devastating consequences for victims and their families.

“The statistics around non-contact sexual offences are shocking, and I welcome this campaign which will help to educate people, especially young women and girls, that what they have experienced is serious and does matter. I hope this will give people the confidence to report incidents and help Devon Cornwall to bring sexual predators to justice.”

To report visit: dc.police.uk/sexual-offences

If you have been a victim of this crime type and would like support, contact the Victim Support Unit – 08 08 16 89 11