'Make our streets safe to walk down' (From Oxford Mail)

'Make our streets safe to walk down'

Women marching to end sexual violence in Oxford said attacks this summer proved the demo was more vital than ever before.

The walk

The annual Reclaim the Night march saw more than 100 women holding banners, waving signs and chanting “Women unite, reclaim the night” on Friday.

They marched from Gloucester Green, through the city centre and on to a rally in Ruskin College, Walton Street.

Organiser Natalie Brook said: “The event is even more important than ever this year. We want to raise awareness that these things still happen. A lot of abuse is hushed up and a lot goes on behind closed doors.”

There have been 10 reported sexual assaults since May in Cowley, East Oxford, Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys. The latest, in Rose Hill on October 7, saw a 19-year-old woman attacked as she went shopping.

Ms Brook said 168 serious sexual assaults were reported in Oxford last year, but the true figure was likely to be higher.