Stopping Assaults On Young Women

THIS weeks warning from the New York Police Department on the dangers of young women leaving bars alone and taking unlicensed car services home is very timely.

Yet again we have had an incident where a woman was sexually assaulted by a driver who was obviously lying in wait outside an Irish bar looking for a victim.

It is just the latest in a string of such attacks going back several years where young Irish women have been attacked outside bars after a night out. 

There is no question that evidence proves these crimes are pre-meditated, and the word has got around among gypsy cab drivers that young women who are the worse for drink leaving bars alone are easy targets. The victim in this case has shown rare courage in coming forward and likely preventing other attacks from taking place.

There are several ways that the problem can be tackled. The most notable is an informational campaign that will inform all late night female drinkers of the risk in leaving alone and grabbing the first available gypsy cab.

The facts are that women have a responsibility to ensure their own safety and they need to take precautions, especially give the rash of incidents, many unreported to police, over the recent past.

Obviously one of the best methods of ensuring safety is not to leave a bar alone, or not be in such a state of drunkenness that can make a woman an obvious mark. That should be a top priority for every young woman who goes drinking on weekend nights.

The other precaution is a buddy system whereby there is a designated person to go home with, preferably one who has not taken too much alcohol and who is able to make sensible choices about taking a particular car service.

The third would be to inform the bartender when a cab is needed, and have this person call a reputable firm. In that situation the driver is vetted and his name is known to the cab company. This might take a little longer, but it would certainly greatly improve the prospect of safe passage home.

The bars themselves have a responsibility too, to ensure that they watch out for young women who are leaving alone in an inebriated state and do their best to have them taken home by a legitimate taxi service. They must also post prominent notices in their bars warning drinkers of the dangers of going home alone.

It could also be possible to have the person themselves or someone from the establishment or a friend stand in front of the car and note down the license plate before the person enters the cab. In that case an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

There is no question that the Irish drinking culture, especially at weekends, results in many young inebriated people making their way home alone. In the context of the culture this is something that unfortunately is widely accepted and in some cases approved of. 

Falling down drunk is almost a badge of honor in some quarters. It all seems such great fun at the time, but the reality is that when a person is no longer in control she is putting herself in harm’s way.

In the end of the day the responsibility rests with the individual to take care of themselves. Stopping before total inebriation sets in, making arrangements through a friend, or using common sense and calling a reputable cab company would seem like very wise precautions. 

It is time, too, for an extensive information campaign to be launched, both in the bars and in the community, about the dangers of gypsy cab drivers preying on young Irish women.