A woman has reported a distressing experience on the London Underground, revealing that the British Transport Police (BTP) took 13 hours to respond to her call after she was sexually assaulted. Esme Rice, 23, was traveling home to east London when the incident occurred on June 6, shortly before 23:00 BST.
Incident Details
Rice reported that two men boarded her Elizabeth line train and assaulted her. Following the incident, she utilized the BTP’s dedicated text line, 61016, which is designed for discretely reporting crimes. However, she expressed her disappointment and confusion at receiving no communication until the next day, stating that the service did not provide the expected safety net.
BTP’s Response and Statistics
- The BTP receives over a quarter million texts annually through the 61016 service.
- Tackling sexual offenses on the railway is a priority for the BTP.
In the wake of the assault, the BTP made an appeal for information regarding two men they wish to question about the incident. According to Rice, these men were part of a group of buskers who had boarded the train and exited at Stratford alongside her. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with this case.
