Cardiff: Street sex assault woman scared to go out alone

Katy, not her real name, was followed twice by a man on a bike who grabbed her and sexually assaulted her

A woman who was sexually assaulted in the street by a man who offered her £50 for sex has said she is now too frightened to go out alone.

Katy, not her real name, says she was followed by the man on a bike while walking to a friend's house in Cardiff last summer.

She managed to escape, but he waited for her, grabbing her and sexually assaulting her.

"He just wouldn't leave me alone. It was horrible," she said.

She shared her story as other women spoke to BBC Wales about being harassed and sexually assaulted in the city, with reports of drink spiking and being followed home.

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It comes as a Welsh government advisor said sexual assault was much more prevalent than most people thought and called for a national conversation about safety.

Welsh government advisor Yasmin Khan said sexual abuse was a "traumatic experience"

Yasmin Khan, adviser on Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Abuse, said: "It's a considerable problem in all walks of life and we need to do as much as we can to adopt a zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment."

'He started grabbing me'

Katy, whose identity we have protected due to legal reasons, said the man on a bike pulled alongside her while she was walking to her friend's house last summer.

"[He] grabbed my wrist and grabbed my bottom and he was trying to kiss me. I managed to go into my friend's house and I started crying," she said.

At the time she did not report it to the police, as she thought it was not worth it as it was "only a 15 second thing", but when she left her friend's house she spotted him outside.

"At first he didn't do anything, and he was just following me," she said.

"But then he just came and started grabbing me and touching my private area again and saying I'll give you £50 if you sleep with me.

"He just wouldn't leave me alone and kept coming on his bike. It was horrible," she said.

Police are investigating after she reported the man, but she said the incident had left her feeling always "on edge" and she was now frightened to go out alone.

"Before I was confident walking alone even at night but now I feel like I can't walk alone in daylight," she said.

'He was trying to get in my house'

Sabrina Cass said a stranger who knew her name and phone number turned up outside her house attempting to get in

A number of women, who posted on social media about their experiences, told BBC Wales they were still trying to process what had happened.

Student Sabrina Cass said she was left terrified after a stranger, claiming to be a delivery driver, came to her house, demanding to be let inside.

"Someone was actually outside our house, they had my phone number and they knew who I was," she said.

"We ran around the house locking the doors and windows and he was shaking the handle trying to get in."

She said the man called her, and when she said she had not ordered anything, he threatened her, telling her he had pictures of her.

Despite not knowing how the individual had her number, Miss Cass said she believes he may have logged her details from a previous genuine food delivery but returned at a later date with an "ulterior motive".

After women highlighted increasing concerns about safety in the city, especially in student areas, some sports teams at Cardiff University have united to try and help.

The "walk together" scheme, sees team mates offer to walk female students home from the city's bars and clubs to ensure they get home safely.

Zach Beresford said the "walk together" scheme has gotten 40-50 people home safely after nights out

Zach Beresford, who founded the Walk Together scheme, said he had decided to build on a similar idea started by the university's football team last term.

"At the moment we do it on a Saturday, and so far we've managed to get 40-50 over two nights home safely," he said.

"If we can make a tiny difference to help people feel safe, then that's what we're going to do."

Alongside the scheme, the student union is also running a "safe taxi" scheme, allowing students to get into a taxi and to pay the fare at a later date, and a "safety bus" also patrols the city every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night.

CCTV showed Higgins leading his victim to the entrance of Bute Park

Last month a 19 year old man was given a 15 year extended sentence for raping a young woman in Cardiff's Bute Park.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how Tyler Higgins, of Brithdir Street in Cathays, Cardiff, "confused, disorientated and took advantage" of his victim, who was enjoying a night out with friends.

Ch Supt Wendy Gunney, of South Wales Police, said attacks in the city had caused concern and the force was putting on high-visibility patrols to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.

She added that the force was working with Cardiff council to increase CCTV coverage in Bute Park and along other routes home from the city.

"If anyone has concerns please approach a police officer or contact us," she said.

Responding to concerns, the Welsh government said it was working to make Wales the "safest place in Europe to be a woman".

"Where it is safe to do so, we want our communities to call out inappropriate behaviours and offer support to those affected," a spokesperson said.

"This includes males being empowered to engage with other men and boys to call out abusive and sexist behaviour among their friends, colleagues and communities to promote a culture of equality and respect."