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Sexual Harassment on Public Transportation: Most Sex Crimes Go Unreported (But Here’s Why They Shouldn’t)

Okabe & Haushalter Nov 25, 2017 Sex Crimes

Reported incidents of sexual harassment and sexual abuse on public transportation in Chicago are on the rise and are surpassing each of the past two years, according to Chicago’s Sun-Times.

With the media’s increased focus on sex crimes across the U.S., the reports of so-called “non-index” crime on Chicago’s public transportation is troubling. There have been 145 incidents of reported criminal sexual abuse on the CTA in Chicago since 2015, statistics shows.

However, our sexual assault attorneys here at Okabe & Haushalter explain that the real number of sex crimes on public transportation is much higher, as most victims and witnesses of such crimes choose not to report such crimes, and simply walk away from the harasser or abuser.

Fact #1: there were 44 instances of criminal sexual abuse reported on the CTA in 2015; in 2017, the number stands at 60 as of the end of October (and the year hasn’t ended yet).

In its data on crimes on Chicago’s public transportation, the Chicago Police Department differentiates between non-index crimes and index crimes. The latter are severe crimes such as murder, robbery and rape.

Non-index crimes are, meanwhile, inappropriate touching, sexual harassment without physical contact and other forms of sexual harassment and misconduct.

Sexual misconduct on public transportation in US: statistics

Since 2015 through late October in 2017, there were 2,003 reports of non-index crimes on the CTA in Chicago. These include sexual harassment, drug use, vandalism and other, less severe crimes.

But the Sun Times noted that sex crimes, in particular, have seen “an uptick” in the past two years.

Fact #2: nearly half of the sex crimes on the CTA in 2017 was reported on L trains and inside L and subway stations. Buses and bus stops, train platforms, and parking facilities accounted for fewer such crimes.

Fact #3: the Chicago police have solved fewer than 10% of these cases.

While it may seem like the sex crime situation on public transport in Chicago is unsettling, it’s no different than in other cities and states of our nation.

A recent survey cited by the Los Angeles Times revealed that 29% of former passengers of LA’s buses and trains had stopped taking public transportation because they felt unsafe.

Fact #4: another survey showed that 1 in every 14 commuters had been fondled or groped on LA’s public transportation.

Another survey tracking sexual misconduct on Los Angeles’s public transport showed that 22% of respondents admitted to having had experienced some form of “unsolicited sexual behavior” during their rides home or to work.

Sex crime problem in Los Angeles is even more intimidating

However, the sex crime problem is much bigger than it is reported on paper, a Los Angeles sexual assault attorney at Okabe & Haushalter insists, adding that most sex crimes on public transport go unreported.

Many victims of sexual harassment choose to get off the bus or train after they experience some form of sexual misconduct, be it inappropriate touching or sexual harassment without physical contact.

However, turning a blind eye to incidents like this only aggravates the sex crime problem in Los Angeles and other cities across our nation. At a unique time like this – when sexual harassment has come under increased scrutiny like never before – it’s important to not let harassers and abusers off the hook.

Our experienced sex crimes attorney in Los Angeles at Okabe & Haushalter, a reputable law firm that has handled thousands of sex crime cases in the past decades, warns that reporting sexual misconduct on public transportation and taking legal action against the harasser or abuser can not only bring you the desired financial compensation, but also help make the city cleaner and more sexual misconduct-free.

Make your city clean and free of unwanted and disgusting sexual harassment and sexual advances in public places. Consult our sexual harassment attorney to find out your best course of action against the harasser or abuser.

Call our offices at 310-430-7799 or fill out this contact form. We respect your right to confidentiality.