A victim of sexual assault on a London train experienced a 13-hour wait for a response from the British Transport Police (BTP), highlighting concerns about the handling of such incidents. The victim, Esme Rice, shared her experience after videos she posted about a second sexual assault she endured went viral, drawing widespread attention and messages from others who have faced similar situations.
"Some people get it wrong in the comments - they try blaming me for the fact that it happened, or they leave racist comments about the attackers," Rice stated. "But I want to make it clear - this could happen to anyone."
Official figures released at the end of 2025 indicate that reports of sexual offenses on the London Underground reached a five-year high. During the 2024-25 period, 595 sexual offenses were reported across all Tube lines, marking the highest number since 2019-20, when 776 incidents were recorded. These statistics, obtained by Transport for London (TfL) through a Freedom of Information request, do not encompass data from the London Overground, DLR, or Elizabeth Line.
TfL has stated that addressing violence against women and girls on public transport has been a long-standing priority, with concerted actions undertaken for several years in collaboration with policing partners. Despite these efforts, Rice's experience underscores ongoing challenges in response times.
In a separate but related development, just three days after Rice's assault, a passenger was convicted under new sex-based harassment legislation. The individual had grabbed a woman's hair and attempted to kiss her on a train heading into London, dismissing the behavior as "banter." The offender received a 12-month community order, 150 hours of unpaid work, and was required to complete a 15-day rehabilitation program.
The BTP has affirmed that tackling sexual offending on the transport network is a key priority, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring safe journeys for all passengers. A spokesperson noted that the dedicated text number, 61016, receives over 250,000 messages annually, a figure that continues to grow as passengers gain confidence in reporting historically under-reported crimes, including sexual offenses.
"This isn't misplaced confidence, as we've shown time and time again that we won't stop until we've caught offenders, put them before the courts, and secured justice for victims," the BTP spokesperson added.