80% increase in sexual violence in London gyms

Reports of rape and sexual assault in London’s fitness and leisure spaces have risen by almost 80% between 2021 and 2023, according to the latest data.

A Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police revealed there were 39 such reports in 2021, 55 in 2022 and 70 in 2023, involving venues such as gyms, leisure centers and spas.

There were 28 reports between January 1 and July 31, 2024.

The data shows that reports of harassment and “gym intimidation” in recent years may be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to safety in such facilities.

Ciara Madden, owner of the women-only gym Body by Ciara in Muswell Hill, Haringey, said: “It’s quite shocking to be honest.

“But I think it’s very common: If it weren’t, women wouldn’t be coming to my gym in the numbers they are.”

The fitness influencer from Barnet, who has 121,000 Instagram followers, has had largely positive experiences in mixed gyms.

However, the 34-year-old said better staff training and clearer avenues for complaints are needed.

Madden said she witnessed an older man exposing himself in a health club’s co-ed spa and confronted him.

She added: “He turned around, winked at me and said, ‘I bet you liked it.’”

Madden reported the incident to the health club, which conducted an investigation, “basically did nothing.”

She said: ‘I thought, if it happened again, would I make an effort?

“I’m very confident and don’t scare easily, but it made me nervous, and I wonder how someone who was less confident or didn’t know anyone would deal with it.”

The actual number of incidents could be much higher than this data suggests.

According to Rape Crisis UK, 82% of women and 80% of men who are victims of rape do not report it to the police.

Madden believes it is important to talk about sexual violence against men in fitness and leisure facilities, but also against women.

In the period from January 1, 2021 to July 31, 2024, women and girls were more than four times as likely to report sexual assault and almost three times as likely to report rape, compared to men and boys.

The number of reports of sexual assault against men aged 13 or older also increased by more than 44% between 2021 and 2022, from nine to thirteen.

However, only seven incidents were reported in 2023, a decrease of more than 46%.

Survivors UK, a charity that supports and advocates for male and non-binary victims of rape and sexual abuse, said in a statement it believes many more survivors may not have reported crimes due to low conviction rates and the fear of not being believed.

It said environments such as gyms “emphasize physical strength and hyper-masculine stereotypes” and added that the new data was “concerning”.

The charity welcomed steps to promote safe spaces, but said staff need more training to feel empowered to handle reports.

It encouraged survivors to contact the organization or other organizations such as Safeline and Rape Crisis, adding: “The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone; we believe you and help is available.

“Do not fight in silence.”

Kate Dale leads Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign, which encourages women and girls to be active, and said a “spectrum” of sexual violence is impacting the way people of all genders interact with fitness and leisure facilities.

She said: “Everyone should feel they can play sports without fear of harassment, assault or rape.

“That should be a given, and the fact that it isn’t is just horrifying.

“It only has to happen to you or someone you know once to color your entire experience or keep you from going.”

Dale said women-only gyms like Madden’s are a positive step but shouldn’t be the only solution

She said: “We can’t live in a world where the only way women can be safe is by not being with men.”

Dale added that she is confident change can happen and urged victims to report violations to management and police.

According to research conducted by This Girl Can and the non-profit organization ukactive, 42% of women have experienced sexual harassment or intimidation at a fitness or leisure center at least once, such as inappropriate comments or invasion of personal space.

This figure almost doubles for women aged 16 to 24, to 83%.

More than three-quarters of affected women said they had changed their behavior as a result, for example by dressing differently or using facilities at different times.

In February 2024, This Girl Can launched an eight-week pilot of the Ask for Angela program across 11 fitness and leisure centers in south-west London.

The pilot, in partnership with organizations including the Met Police and ukactive, encouraged anyone who felt unsafe to use ‘Angela’ as a code word to alert trained staff.

The plan is part of This Girl Can and ukactive’s ‘Safer Spaces to Move’ campaign, which aims to support facilities to tackle sexual harassment and bullying.

The campaign is now working with an evaluation agency to explore the next steps in the Ask for Angela project.

In a statement, ukactive said operators must have a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment and assault, including asking users to sign contracts banning illegal activities and emphasizing codes of conduct.

It added that anyone harassing other users should have their membership paused while an investigation is conducted, with incidents reported to police if necessary.

The Metropolitan Police had no specific comment on sexual offenses in fitness and leisure facilities, but said in a statement that all allegations of rape and sexual assault are taken seriously.

Police said: “Officers recognize the profound impact on victim-survivors and are committed to supporting them throughout the investigation and trial process.

“Our clear message is to contact the police or other support agencies and seek help – we will respond sensitively and we will work with you to provide the right support.”