I still remember where I was when I heard the awful news about the rape and murder of Sarah Everard. Women up and down the country were left mourning and frightened; we exchanged horrified WhatsApps, checked on each other every time we went out and came home, especially at night.
We shared stories familiar to every one of us, swapped tips about how we carry our keys threaded through our fingers like weapons; about getting our phones out early to pre-dial 999; how we felt unable to go running after dark. We nodded with recognition when we talked of that instinctive need to “de-escalate” when we are approached by a man in a bar, of being calm and polite – even sweet – in the face of unwanted attention from a stranger. Why? Because we know, instinctively, that to respond in any other way could put us in danger.
