Walking alone.

Monica, I confess I have not looked at any reliable sources. I am only going on impressions. The soldiers I remember were Polish and I think I can say truly that there was a lot of mutual respect and friendship which was apparent even to a little girl.

Yes, carry on as you are. I walk every day, one of my main pleasures. In fact I am off now!

While there was not mass rape during the war in the UK it did happen. Some GIs were executed as it was a capital offence. The vast majority of offences were probably not reported. Crime was high during the war years.

I walk a huge amount on my own with dog.

It never occurs to me that I am in danger of a violent act.

In fact I day dream and enjoy the outdoors to the extent that I really am not aware of what is going on around me. Although saying that there never is much going on up on the Downs except the odd cyclist or walker.

Perhaps I should be more aware.

But it would spoil my blissful enjoyment.
So I think I will carry on as I am

I've been hoping for the best for decades and it hasn't got better. Now I'm just furious.

We should be able to walk where we want safely, but this is nothing new. Going back centuries whole villages were attacked.

Just have to use common sense and hope for the best ?

It doesn't help that 'lads mags' use the language that they do...article on a study done by Middlesex University.

www.theguardian.com/media/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2011/dec/09/lad-mags-rapists-study

I might add, I alsouse trains whenever I can. I do enjoy train trips, even short ones.

I walk everywhere in and around the village but otherwise use my car locally. Unfortunately I can be travel sick in buses.

However I have become very adept at not going out for one purpose only if I can avoid it.

When we went to a local town, we do not go to much, last week to hire a van to carry our stock to an antiques fair, I drove DH there and then shopped in the local supermarket there rather than my usual one elsewhere and delivered some goods to a charity shop and then dropped some rubbish off at the tip.

Do you go on little local walks at all?

So, do you all go everywhere in your cars? Hopefully public transport might be involved.

Alexa. Women in enemy coutries were raped as part of the weapons of war.

But do not delude yourself. Many women in Britain were raped by allied and British soldiers, not systematically, but at a rate comparable to that already happening in the country

It is easy to underestimate the incidence of rape in allied countries because of the opprobrium, blame and shame women suffered if they reported rape. Then, as now, but more so rape went unreported.

Daisymae, Women in enemy countries were raped. It was much less likely that women or any local people were abused by their allies or countrymen. I say this because I do believe the motive for rape is like the motive for acts of racial hatred: hostility and arrogance more than lust.

That scenario reminded me of Dick Emery's 'Oh you are awful....'

Yes, my granny was accosted by a very drunk GI who put his arms around her and tried to kiss her. She pushed him over (not hard given how legless he was) and walked briskly away.

I seem to remember reading that there are more attacks on young males walking alone than anyone else. I suspect it has always been so. I remember my mum saying she always carried a large heavy torch when she walked home alone from her stint firewatching in WW2 after she’d been accosted by some young American airmen.

Where I live people if all ages walk alone, with or without a dog. I would be much more concerned about getting to and from a multi storey at night than walking in the countryside. You have to assess the situation and make a reasonable choice, but you can't live in fear, otherwise we would never do anything without escort!

Monica that is exactly the kind of walk I always loved to do before I got all puffed out.

Never owned a pepper spray.

There were certainly cases of rape where British and US troops stationed in this country were convicted of rape and, of course many more not reported because, generally women did not report rape then.

I truly can't believe that last sentence about women during the war. Literally millions of women and girls were raped by troops of all countries during and after the war.

When i was a little girl I used to go long cycle runs in te countryside by myself This was during the war and there were soldiers billetted in our little town. I never heard of any rapes, and you know how children pick up emotional gossip by adults.
This was because in the war there was a common enemy and men did not view women as hostile beings or commodities.

Went for my usual walk this morning around village and up a few footpaths in search of the last of the blackberries. Mt a couple of dog walkers as I went on my way. I was out for about an hour.

In my area hardly any women walk alone in the more woody or park areas. When I need a walk, I travel to a nearby large town with a centre that’s on the flat. I have a walk around there and feel safe amongst lots of people. Bookended by a coffee, each end. ??

I always take a pepper spray when alone in less busy areas. I have, on occasion, taken a bright green, non-washable paint spray and used it once, about 3 years ago. Hair spray is good and comes in small cans.

So sorry, truly terrible for the poor girl. What cowards! Who are those men or better still animals?
When I walk alone I usually have a small size hairspray in my pocket. I put some in my eyes by accident once and had it really hurt for 15 minutes. It gave me the idea to carry it around.