Public meeting in Ramsgate to discuss female safety issues

Concerned women at a vigil in Ramsgate earlier this year

A public meeting for those concerned about the safety of women and girls in Ramsgate will be held on Thursday,  November 18 from 6pm – 8pm at the Comfort Inn, Victoria Parade, Ramsgate.

Speakers include:

Emma Williams – Local Women’s activist.

Kandiss Reilly – Women’s Equality Party representative.

Cllr Karen Constantine – Kent County Councillor for Ramsgate.

Kent Police Acting Supt Rhiannon Pepper.

DCI Nicola Ross.

Chief Inspector Matthew Smith.

The meeting will be chaired by former councillor Jenny Matterface.

The meeting has been organised by Cllr Constantine, who said: “When I looked at the sex crime figures in 2017, Ramsgate was doing extremely badly in terms of the number of sexual attacks against women and girls and the rate of prosecutions, successful or not, was appallingly low. I’m hoping to hear what progress has been made.  I’m looking for a factual update and evidence of effective action from the police.”

Some residents have voiced concerns including Cleo Cole who said she was upset that her report of hearing an attack in the early hours in Ramsgate was not taken seriously. She claims she was told to make the report on the 101 non emergency number, adding: “That shook me and I want to make sure that complaints of this type are taken seriously and acted upon.”

Another Ramsgate resident said she would be at the meeting after experiencing an unpleasant incident. Police are investigating her complaint of being groped by an entertainer at a children’s party.

Activist Emma Williams, who has arranged two Ramsgate vigils following the tragic deaths of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa, has welcomed the meeting, saying: “I organised the vigils as a mark of respect to Sarah and Sabina, and to highlight how important women’s  safety is.

“I want to know that much more is being done to improve safety in Ramsgate for women and girls. This is my chance to put my questions directly to the police and to get them answered. I urge all those concerned, mums, dads, girls and women to use this opportunity to find out more.”

17 Comments

  1. The rape prosecutions and the convictions are appalling. This country should be ashamed. I am as a man and can only conclude that is linked to how many in the police and law generally are men ! Even if they don’t carry misogynistic views it must be skewing the system.

  2. I agree women should be safe and I can understand their concerns, I as a man would not feel safe walking alone at night. Young yobs out at night getting up to vandalism and crime the police nowhere to be seen until after the event.
    Even if they are caught the courts are far too soft in giving out the punishments. It’s not just a local concern it’s a national matter with a useless government not addressing the matter. We need a lot more police far more than the 20,000 that that useless May cut when she was prime minister. Then when we have more they need to get out on to the streets and be seen.

    • You could have another 50 thousand police officers on the streets buy crime would still continue as our liberal judges would continue to keep giving serial offenders the weakest sentences available or worse still yet another chance to offend ie an non custodial sentences.

      The left leaning liberals who invented the failed ASBO and continue to push for non custodial sentences have taken the fear away of being arrested. The feral youth and violent scum are no longer afraid of the police.

      It’s seems nowadays that the criminals enjoy more freedoms than their victims and the human rights of the criminals are of more importance than those of the victims. The vast majority want criminals caged but unfortunately the courts and government now seem to only listen to the very vocal minority.

      • For over ten years we have had a right leaning government that makes the laws determining the punishments handed out by the courts.
        You are writing complete and utter rubbish.
        Were you to engage your brain before pounding your keyboard, you might have discovered that custodial sentences don’t work: 75% of prisoners go on to reoffend.

        • So what’s your suggestions St Andrew? close all the prisons? You are such a patronising individual to people who express opinions that you don’t agree with.

        • Andrew, you are an intolerant fool and clearly a bigot. You have zero respect for any opinion other than your own. Please read up on the definition of bigot because you certainly qualify.

          Feel free to go and talk to the real victims of crime, the people who suffer daily abuse, violence, intimidation and anti social behaviour from offenders who should be incarcerated but are left on the streets by liberal judges and progressive thinkers such as yourself who care more for the criminal than the real victims of crime.

          Custodial sentences get the scum out of the community FACT. Custodial sentences bring relief for the victims of crime FACT.
          Ask the police if they want the criminals locked up, the answer is yes, ask the victims of crime the answer is yes and ask the majority of the law abiding community and the answer is yes.

          Stop believing the crocodile tears of the criminals and venture out from the safety of your hippy commune and see the devastation that arises from leaving the criminals on the streets, it might enlighten you to the truth and the consequences of leaving criminals free to walk the streets.

          • Can’t say I’ve noticed Andrew or anybody else saying that there is no need at all for prisons, or that he has spoken to criminals in person. I’m sure there are facts (not FACTS, except in newspaper headlines) -based on thorough research -which show that prison does not always prevent further crime when the offenders are released.

          • “Custodial sentences get the scum out of the community FACT. Custodial sentences bring relief for the victims of crime FACT.
            Ask the police if they want the criminals locked up, the answer is yes, ask the victims of crime the answer is yes and ask the majority of the law abiding community and the answer is yes.”
            I didn’t say anything to contradict that.
            I simply pointed out the fact that three quarters of prisoners go on to reoffend.
            You clearly haven’t found the gear lever for your brain.

  3. Concerned, You should be very concerned that the Conservatives reduced police numbers by over 20,000 officers the Conservatives closed magistrate courts the Conservatives privatised probationary services that turned out to be such a disaster that they now have HAD TO take the the service back into public supervision. The Conservatives reduced the prison building program by £250million. The Conservatives also reduced police training.
    None of the above surprises me when we have a CONSERVATIVE prime minister who tries to cover up and indeed support corruption and does not even have the decency to apologise when he is found out.
    What Concerns me most above all else is what sort of person would vote for such corrupt party. ???

  4. Unbelievably poor grammar in these replies. Bill, did you attend an educational establishment under a Labour or Conservative government?

    • It was probably a Conservative one. In addition to the points that Bill has made, the Conservatives have cut funding to schools

      • Andrew. I know several police officers and they are sick of arresting the same scum repeatedly only for a liberal judge to let them of with yet another warning. The police are losing faith with the justice system.

        I am also unfortunate enough to live in an area with a couple of drug dealers and feral kids running wild. They are not afraid of the police and they are definitely not afraid of community sentencing. These offenders have dozens of convictions for numerous crimes but still not spent a day in prison. The impotent community sentences they receive only embolden them to commit more more crimes. They are laughing at our justice system.

        Unlike you Andrew, I speak from experience. Myself and the other law abiding residents in my neighbourhood and many more streets just like mine have to deal with the antisocial behaviour that comes from keeping criminals in the community. Having to live and interact with scum on a daily basis is soul destroying.

        You might believe that you are enlightened and better than the rest of society but your not, you are a bigot.

        • I have not once said that there should be no custodial sentences. I’ve just pointed out that, on their own, cymustidial sentences don’t bring about change in criminals.
          The rest of your spleen venting bile was all made up by you.

        • Concerned, what makes you think that Andrew has no experience of anti-social behaviour? I have plenty of experience of anti-social behaviour, some of it aimed at me personally, but I still don’t think that prison in itself is a successful way of dealing with it.

  5. [Let’s write correctly what we preach] , Oh yes holy one you of great wisdom I understand holy one you made all things bright and beautiful you also made a condition called dyslexia holy one. Those who do have it are inclined to suffer from a condition called being pompous and narcissism. Give me dyslexia any day compared to those self righteous rear licking conditions. If writing correctly what we preach can solve the crime rate and crimes against women in general then bring it on. However as it does not I will take absolutely no advice from you pompous one.

  6. Thatcher the milk snatcher, Sold off what belonged to the public to her business friends in the private sector [ wicked women] Cameron [ arrogant self righteous coward who run away from the chaos he caused over Brexit] MAY [ cut the police numbers to help the criminals as Home Secretary] Less than useless as a prime minister] Johnson [ no morals no direction no apologies 43 U-turns to date no idea what he’s doing a UK embarrassment for prime minister]

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