CAMPAIGN
THE IMPORTANCE OF REPORTING
Following the murder of Libby Squire, her mother
has teamed up with Humberside Police to encourage people to report non-contact sexual offences
The disappearance of Libby Squire in February 2019 rocked the city of Hull. The university student’s disappearance affected the entire community, many of whom volunteered during the desperate, large-scale searches in the days following her disappearance. Following a three-part documentary into
the investigation of Libby’s disappearance, Lisa Squire, Libby’s mum, has spoken candidly about her aim to encourage women and girls to report all non-contact sexual offences to the police. Humberside Police are teaming up with Lisa to raise awareness of the importance of reporting crime. Lisa said: “Libby’s death was another in a long line of male sexual violence against women and girls. There were many points that night that could have changed the outcome for Libby, not least the reporting of non- contact sexual offences. “It is unrealistic to expect the police to catch the offender immediately that night, but what reporting does is enable the police to record the offences, join the dots, and act upon any increased incidences of non- contact sexual offences. “As women we are conditioned to
accept these acts of intimidation – we should not accept such behaviour. We need to act now to stop these offenders and make the streets of the UK a safer place for women and girls.” In November 2022, Humberside Police officially launched the Libby Campaign, in
partnership and with the support of Libby’s family. The campaign strongly encourages women and girls to immediately report all non-contact sexual offences to police. A non-contact sexual offence can be
anything from unsolicited exposure to sexual situations, verbal and behavioural sexual harassment, threats, and even the unsolicited use of a person’s image in a sexual manner. While contact doesn’t always occur, the emotional impact of the experience on a victim can affect them deeply. Assistant Chief Constable, David
Marshall, said: “Libby’s story is a harrowing one with a devastating ending for Libby, her family, and friends, but one that must be told, so that her legacy can live on. We’re
“We need to act now to stop these offenders and make the streets of the UK a safer place for women and girls”
incredibly proud to be teaming up with Lisa to encourage women and girls to report all non-contact sexual offences, however minor they think they might be. “Non-contact sexual offences often go
unreported because many feel that they’re wasting their time, or the police’s time, in doing so. That is absolutely not the case. Some crimes were not reported until after Libby’s disappearance and they then played a crucial role in helping our investigation team to apprehend Pawel Relowicz
“Being able to charge and imprison Relowicz gave us the much-needed time for Libby to return to her family. Without these brave disclosures, we may never have found Libby, and more importantly, brought her killer to justice. “The more people who report these crimes, the safer our streets will become. I encourage anyone, however small they think the offence might be, to report it to us. Let’s make Humberside’s streets a safer place for women and girls.” The campaign will run continuously and feature on digital advertising platforms, in selected venues across the region, and across all Humberside Police social media channels. To report a non-contact sexual offence, call our non-emergency line, 101. If you are in immediate danger and need help, do not hesitate to call 999.
46 | POLICE | FEBRUARY 2023
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