Katherine Ryan has expressed her gratitude to the British Transport Police for reaching out to her after she revealed that her teenage daughter and niece were sexually harrassed on the London Underground.
Violet, who is 14, and her 16-year-old cousin were on a day out in the capital recently and according to Ryan, were “sexually harassed by grown men everywhere they went”.
She also detailed an alarming moment when the young girls were filmed riding public transport.
The Canadian comedian, 40, revealed that Lucy D’Orsi, the Chief Constable of British Transport Police, had sent her a message about the incident.
“They take this very seriously. They were hot on it,” the mum-of-three told Metro.
Reading from the note, D’Orsi told Ryan that what her daughter experienced “was completely unacceptable”.
Explaining that she has responsibility for policing the tube and trains, she went on to urge the panel show regular to report what had happened if she had not already done so.
“I’m trying to encourage young women and girls to report unwanted behaviour,” the law enforcement official continued.
Adding: “The behaviour you describe can escalate into more serious violence. We take a zero-tolerance policy, happy to chat.”
Ryan was pleased by this action, telling the publication: “They reached out right away. I feel a lot better about my daughter travelling on the underground when I know it’s policed by [someone like] Lucy.”
Speaking on her Telling Everybody Everything podcast last month, Ryan told listeners: “There’s no mistaking Violet’s age. She’s 14, she has braces on her teeth. Anyone looking at these girls, no one is mistaking them for being adult women.
“Maybe someone might hope that Lily’s 18, nevertheless, you’re a sick freak and you shouldn’t be chatting to teenage girls the way you are.”
