'It Does Matter': People urged to report non-contact sexual offences

The 'It Does Matter' campaign, launched by Thames Valley Police, aims to tackle crimes like exposure and voyeurism, which it says have been historically overlooked as forms of violence against women and girls.

These offences are often dismissed by victims as not serious enough to report, but they can lead to more severe crimes, including rape and sexual assault.

The campaign is part of an effort to ensure the safety of women and girls in the Thames Valley and comes after the murders of Libby Squire, Sarah Everard, and Zara Aleena, who were all victims of men with histories of non-contact sexual offending.

Posters produced for the 'It Does Matter' campaign (Image: TVP) Assistant chief constable Katy Barrow-Grint, force strategic lead for violence against women and girls, said: "Many women and girls will have been subjected to non-contact sexual offences during their lives. This is likely to include your family and friends.

"Many will have brushed it off as something that happens to all women, or found that others have laughed at their stories, making them question how serious is it.

"We have created the ‘It Does Matter’ campaign to encourage those who have been subjected to offences such as indecent exposure and voyeurism to absolutely report to the police.

"We will investigate, and it will also provide intelligence that will help us understand patterns of offending to assist with locating those that commit such crimes. It really does matter."

The campaign has been developed with the help of campaigner Lisa Squire, whose daughter Libby was killed by a sexual predator with a history of escalating offending.

Ms Squire said: "Libby was enjoying her life at university. She had made new friends and was studying and partying hard.

"On February 1, 2019, Libby was refused entry to a club because she was too drunk. Her friends sent her home alone in a taxi. Libby never got home.

"She was raped and murdered by a stranger who had an extensive history of non-contact sexual offences. Libby's death was totally preventable."

Thames Valley Police said it is "committed to addressing non-contact sexual offences," adding it has made "substantial improvements in recent years in how we investigate and respond to these crimes".

The force has a dedicated Digital Desk to manage online reports of these offences, aiming to respond within one hour.

Ms Squire added: "I know Libby would be incredibly proud of what we have created in It Does Matter.

"My hope is that you take the messages in It Does Matter and make them part of your everyday life."