Police chief inspector says there are 'places women cannot go' in Hampshire

Police and crime commissioner Donna Jones and Chief Inspector for Fareham and Gosport, Fifi Gulam-Husen, have met to discuss what more can be done to tackle crimes against women the county.

Around one in three women and girls in the UK are subjected to violence, ranging from physical and sexual harm to coercion and deprivation of liberty.

Chief Insp Gulam-Husen said: 'Being a woman myself, this is something that I'm hugely passionate about.

'Hampshire is a beautiful place - when I'm not working I'll go camping on weekends and there are so many lovely spots to choose from - but I know that there are women who feel as though they are not safe and there are places they cannot go.’

In March, John Horne raped a 22-year-old woman on a footbridge near Fareham Railway Station.

Horne, of Broadacre Place, Fareham, was jailed for nine years.

'That happened in my first week on the job,' Chief Insp Gulam-Husen said.

'It was a truly shocking case, and I don't want women and girls in my district to live in fear of that happening to them. We want them to be safe, wherever they are.

'I was proud of how we brought him to justice, but it's a case that has definitely stuck with me.'

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In the same month as Horne's attack, a 17-year-old girl on a bus from Fareham to Locks Heath was also sexually assaulted.

Police and crime commissioner Donna Jones said: 'Areas such as Gosport have higher than average levels of domestic abuse for the Hampshire area and therefore working closely with the district commander is key to reducing the number of crimes.

'I have created a violence against women and girls task force which district commanders attend from time to time in order to go through specific projects they are running in their areas, and I pay charities to work with local schools to work with children from year five upwards to deliver education on crime and staying safe.

'In addition, one of my key priorities is to increase the number of police on the streets, to make sure that women and girls not only feel safer, but are safer.