I was just a commuter on my way to work. I did not ask for any of this to happen (Photo: Getty)

Dear Sadiq Khan,

On the 19th March at 8am on my morning to commute to work, I was sexually assaulted on the Central line tube.

A man in his mid 30s who took advantage of the confined space we were in by inappropriately groping, touching, and grinding on me.

While I was absolutely terrified, speechless, and shaking with fear, I could not act out. Since this incident happened, I’ve had a lot of people – friends, family, and people I barely know telling me I should have reacted.


But the victim shouldn’t be the one being blamed. I was just a commuter on my way to work. I did not ask for any of this to happen.



And although my mind was working a thousand miles an hour, thinking, ‘What do I say to him? What do I do? Should I yell for help? Will anyone believe me?’ my body and my mouth would not participate in vocalising my frantic need for help.

I did report the incident as soon as I left the carriage. The British Transport Police were very helpful, and kind. Yet after the initial statement was taken, and I was waiting for my boyfriend to come and pick me up from their station in Liverpool Street, the police officer said, ‘I know this isn’t any consolation, but this happens regularly.

‘There aren’t any CCTV cameras on the carriages in the train, so people take their chances with assaulting other passengers.’

I asked why there wasn’t any, and he told me, ‘I don’t know, I think it’s because the trains are old.’

At the time, I shrugged this off and thought nothing of it. But afterwards, when I’d managed to gather my thoughts and calm down my anxiety the answer the officer had given to me about passenger safety being jeopardised by having no CCTV because the trains were old didn’t suffice.

I have called, emailed, tweeted, and messaged TfL London to gather a more concrete answer other than ‘the trains are old.’ None could give me a more elaborate answer than this. They intend to have CCTV in carriages by 2023, but this isn’t soon enough, Mr Khan.

Children, the elderly, men, women, and vulnerable individuals board these trains daily. Why should they be victim to an assault like mine – or perhaps even worse? Why is it taking so long for you to push for the safety and welfare of Londoners?

Between July 2016 and January 2018, there have been a reported 348 incidents on the London underground with 100 being on the central line alone. We need a concentrated effort from you and the TfL to make things better, whatever the cost.

People may say it costs too much but without CCTV cameras in the carriages I, and others, are without evidence of attacks. The only evidence I have is of the CCTV showing that I and my perpetrator boarded the train at the same time but not of the assault within the carriage. The only evidence I have now is my mental scars that will haunt, and continue to cause me anxiety.



Since the assault, I have had panic attacks on trains and have had to leave later for work in fear I’ll be on the same train as my perpetrator.

Waiting until 2023 isn’t good enough. In the meantime you need to enhance safety measurements. More security, more trained staff, and more public awareness of how to act if this situation happens to you or you see if happening to someone else.

It’s all very well telling people to report the incident, but what should they do when they’re underground with no phone signal and no TfL employee to ask for help?

I ask you to act now, Mr Khan. To keep London safe, safety measurements must be heightened on underground trains.

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