‘Dehumanised and scared’ - why we needed to take action

Last summer students from The University of Sheffield formed the Our Bodies Our Streets movement to campaign for better lighting. In January they launched a petition to push to council to install better lighting.

OBOS founder and campaign officer Evie Hairsine, aged 20, set up the campaign after speaking with many people whose experience with public sexual harassment had left them feeling ‘dehumanised and scared’.

Politics and International Relations student Evie herself has to take evasive action when she exercises outside. “Men shout at me from cars, and it’s one after another after another and that is why I would go to a park. But obviously I am not going to go to the park if there is no lighting, because I would not feel safe.

“OBOS takes submissions of individual’s experiences and a lot of people get flashed in Sheffield’s parks or followed, I wouldn’t want to go in one if there’s no lighting. But I also would not want to go on the street, that is why it is so difficult.”

The group said this lack of adequate lighting in parks meant it felt unsafe to access green spaces after sunset – as early as 4pm in winter.

They said: “This has negative implications for our mental and physical health, especially during lockdown, and prevents us from feeling like equal citizens with a right to use our city.”

Worryingly, the most common crime in Sheffield is violence and sexual assault, and the rate of it has more than doubled since 2016 where it accounted for 12 per cent of all of crime in Sheffield, jumping to 27.6 per cent in 2020.

Though already an alarming statistic, this does not take into account the undoubtedly vast number of verbal public sexual harassment cases because they are rarely, if ever, officially reported.

In an attempt to document and raise awareness of such occurrences in Sheffield, OBOS have created an online map where individuals can anonymously submit their experiences.

Evie said: “Being aware of others who have experienced it sort of channeled all that anger into a more positive feeling, so I think that is why people get involved in it.”

OBOS evolved their call for more lighting to accommodate concerns from environmentalists in the city, now they are pushing for sustainable and innovative lighting which will not harm wildlife or the environment.

OBOS campaigner and History and Politics student Kerry Lindeque, 20, said: “When we started the petition we just wanted to light up the parks, but then after doing research and just talking to people in the community, we realised that the lighting cannot just be floodlights and CCTV.

“You need to have lights which are layered or warm-coloured, but also lighting which is implemented with community consultation.”

Evie added: “We have already bought an experimental version of solar powered lights, and they work quite well, it is just getting the council to have the funding to implement something like that.”

The group emphasised how important continuously pushing the conversation surrounding public sexual harassment is. Kerry said: “It is clear from all the dialogue that we have had with people that it is actually really relevant, especially right now.”

Robbed and kidnapped at knifepoint

A 21-year-old student was drugged, robbed, and forced to reveal all of his personal information after being kidnapped at knifepoint as he walked home from a night out.

He now suffers night terrors and depression. “I was terrified for my life. Now my housemate gets taxis home after work because he’s too scared to walk home at night,” he said.

The incident happened in the early hours of March 20 close to Crookes Valley Park. “I was walking home from a friend’s house when two men pulled alongside me in a car, offering to sell me cocaine.”

The victim refused multiple times but then one of the men jumped from the car and forced him into the vehicle. “I was terrified for my life and tried to stay calm,” he said. “And I did what they asked.”

After a short drive they pulled into an unlit street forced the victim to swallow and inhale substances at knifepoin, which left him almost unconscious. They made him hand over his phone, cards, money, and banking passwords.

“They kept me in there for a few hours, I think. I was very scared, and I just kept agreeing to everything that they told me to do. I felt like if I didn't, they would stab me. It was terrifying,” he said.

Hours later when he was bundled out of the car near Crookes Valley Park he staggered home and was discovered by his housemates at around 6am.

“I was shaken and a mess when my friends found me, but I can't remember it much because of the drugs they’d given me,” he said.

His bank had been cleared up to his student overdraft limit. “I rang my family and told them what had happened, they were just relieved I wasn’t hurt.

“I’m traumatised and embarrassed by it, but I’m more worried now as to who it will happen to next. It could happen to anyone at any moment.”

* Call police on 101 quoting 14/46649/21.

* Sign the OBOS petition to demand improved lighting in Sheffield’s parks online at www.change.org/p/sheffield-city-council-ask-sheffield-city-council-for-lighting-in-our-parks