Provision of information held by Northumbria Police made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the 'Act')
As you may be aware the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held at the time of a request, by a Public Authority (including the Police), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.
You asked:
I am researching incidences of reported voyeurism and/or covert photographing/recording/filming of women in unisex/mixed sex changing rooms in department stores/shops and facilities such as gyms/swimming pools between 2016 - 2019. I would like statistics on the number of reports and the location (ie name of the department store/shop/facility) of the incident by year from 2016- 2019 as well as the outcome of any investigation, whether it resulted in a no further action or a charge, what the charge was and the sex of the suspect/defendant.
After we sought clarity on your definition of ‘facilities such as..’ you defined this part as any public sports facilities with unisex changing areas. You then added "leisure facilities" to the request.
In Response:
Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted with the Corporate Development Department of Northumbria Police. I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by Northumbria Police.
The following should be noted with regards to the data supplied below:
- Data supplied below details all crimes coded with a Home Office code of 088/10 (Voyeurism and installing equipment or constructing or adapting a structure/part of a structure with intention of enabling self/another to record a person doing a private act) and 088/12 (Additional Voyeurism Offences - upskirting) where it took place in a unisex/mixed sex changing rooms in department stores/shops and facilities such as gyms/swimming pools/public sports and leisure facilities with unisex changing areas between 01 January 2016 and 31 December 2019.
- Only details incidences with a female as the victim as per the request.
- Only includes crimes with a relevant location such as changing room, leisure centre, shopping centre etc.
- Crimes were manually viewed to determine the victim/suspect and whether it took place in a mixed sex changing facility.
The information has been provided in a way which avoids the use of exemptions being applied to withhold.
With all the above noted I am able to disclose the located information to you as follows.
2016 – 3 x Leisure Centres. No offenders identified.
2017 – 6 x Leisure Centres. 4 x males – 2 x no offenders identified.
1 x Victim declines or is unable to identify suspect.
3 x Evidential difficulties.
1 x Charge/summons.
1 x Investigation Complete - No suspect identified.
2018 – 7 x Leisure Centres. 5 x Males – 2 x no offenders identified.
1 x Caution youth.
1 x Community Resolution.
1 x Victim declines or is unable to identify suspect.
1 x Investigation Complete - No suspect identified.
2 x Evidential Difficulties.
1 x Charge/Summons.
2019 – 4 x Leisure Centres. 3 x males – 1 x no suspect identified.
1 x YOT Triage.
1 x Victim declines or is unable to identify suspect.
1 x Not stated.
1 x Victim does not support police action.
