LEYTONSTONE: CCTV to deter rapists 'too costly' (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

LEYTONSTONE: CCTV to deter rapists 'too costly'

12:19pm Wednesday 29th June 2011 in Your Local Areas By Daniel Binns

LEYTONSTONE: CCTV to deter rapists 'too costly'

THE parents of a young woman who was viciously raped on a footbridge in Leytonstone have accused transport bosses of putting other women at risk by refusing to install CCTV at the scene.

Their 24-year-old daughter was attacked on the walkway over the A12 by Norman Road in the early hours of a Saturday morning, and police had initially hoped to use security footage to help catch the man responsible.

But it emerged that Transport for London (TfL), which maintains the bridge and is responsible for its security, did not have any cameras in the area.

The family, none of whom can be identified for legal reasons, bombareded TfL with phone calls, emails and letters to raise the issue but it took nearly two months for the organisation to respond.

And when they did, it told the family CCTV was not “cost effective”.

The police then since revealed to the parents that another woman was sexually assaulted on the next footbridge along just a month after the rape.

Her 52-year-old dad said: “I think it's clear that TfL just don't care.

“We contacted the council at first because we thought they were responsible for the bridge and they took it very seriously and responded very promptly. The police too have been tremendous and relentless in their determination to catch him, but TfL have been appalling.

“It says a lot about the organisation that it was only when we wrote to every senior manager and the mayor that they replied to us.”

In a letter to the family, TfL's Commissioner for Transport Peter Hendy, apologised and admitted that the failures to respond “had added to the deep distress suffered”.

But he said a previous review had concluded that CCTV “was not felt to be a cost effective and appropriate crime prevention measure for this location”.

The woman's mum, also 52, said: “They're effectively saying CCTV isn't cost effective to keep rapists off the streets.”

The father added: “Statistically rapists do strike again in areas they feel they can get away with it. Ultimately if they put CCTV there it won't cost them very much and it could stop another woman getting raped."

The family say they also want to warn other women in the area and have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

The dad told the Guardian: “It's been very traumatic for our daughter and our family, and she's still in counselling now. It has changed everything for her.

“But she's also been remarkably resilient and doesn't want it to affect her for the rest of her life. I feel very privileged to be her father”.

The family added that they were very grateful to The Havens, a London-wide support group for victims of sexual attacks, for helping them through the ordeal.

A TfL spokesman said: “We were extremely sorry to hear about this incident and Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy has personally apologised to the family for the further distress caused by our delay in responding to them.

“TfL will cut back foliage around the Dyers Road footbridge as well as improve lighting to increase visibility.

“We are also in discussions with Walthamk Forest Council to allow TfL to remove and replace the opaque side panels from the stairs leading up to the footbridge.

“CCTV is not currently installed on the Dyer Road footbridges as to be an effective preventative tool the cameras would require 24/7 monitoring.

“TfL will install CCTV provided that Waltham Forest Council is able to financially and operationally support 24/7 monitoring, and the commissioner Peter Hendy is asking the leader of the borough to respond to this as soon as possible.”

The attack happened on Saturday, February 5 at around 4.30am.

Two men were arrested but released without charge in relation to the rape.

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