Aberdeen City Council has been urged to lock the gates of Union Terrace Gardens at night following a second sex attack in the park in the space of two months.
SNP group leader on the local authority Stephen Flynn said “urgent action” was needed to ensure public safety after a man was charged with sexually assaulting a woman early on Sunday.
The 26-year-old is due to appear from custody at the city’s sheriff court today.
The incident happened almost exactly eight weeks after a 21-year-old woman was raped in the park.
No one has yet been arrested in connection with the attack on January 28, which is not believed linked to the weekend one.
Mr Flynn said “safety improvements” had to be made to the Victorian park to prevent similar incidents in the future.
He said the gates should be closed to the public as soon as darkness falls.
But last night Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing said the local authority should not have a “knee jerk” reaction to the “alleged” attacks.
She said the council was working closely with the police following the most recent incident and would not close the gardens at night unless other “agency partners” felt it necessary.
She said: “What I would say is that we work very closely with the police and other organisations around safety in the city centre, particularly at night, which has seen us being awarded with the Purple Flag award for the third year in a row.
“We will continue to engage with them and other organisations to see what other measures might need to be taken in relation to the alleged incidents in recent weeks.
“What I don’t want to see is a knee-jerk reaction to these alleged attacks.”
Ms Laing said that money had been earmarked to make improvements to the gardens but added this would be done as part of the city centre masterplan.
She said: “We have set aside money for the city centre masterplan.
“We have just appointed a director, Mark Cole, and he will be putting together a development programme for the council.
“We are currently giving him the opportunity to familiarise himself with the city centre and the various issues before he brings a paper to the council. This way we can ensure the money is best utilised for the people of Aberdeen.
“We have also put down a commitment to carry out work at the gardens but we want to make sure that this fits into the masterplan itself.”
Ms Laing said the public also needed to ensure they were “thinking about their own personal safety” while walking through the city centre at night.
But last night SNP council members said the public should not have to wait until the masterplan is put in place to see action being taken.
Mr Flynn said: “The incident on Sunday was the second in a very short space of time and the public will understandably be concerned.
“Public safety has to be our main concern and as a council we must do everything we possibly can to ensure that Union Terrace Gardens are safe.
“We need to see the park being locked at night in the first instance until safety improvements can be made.
“If the gates are locked it would help, however that will not be enough in itself and much more needs to be done.
“I hope that my suggestions will set the ball rolling, and that the council will undertake immediate work to ensure a multi-agency solution so that the area can be made much safer.”
Mr Flynn also wrote to Aberdeen City Council’s chief executive Angela Scott asking for a “full and immediate review” of how safety could be improved.
Councillor Bill Cormie, whose ward covers Union Terrace Gardens, said: “We can’t wait for the masterplan to come through, that could take years and we can’t let this go on.
“We were not having these sex assaults taking place in the gardens when you were locking them up at 10pm.
“This is not a knee-jerk reaction it is an action which needs to be taken to keep people safe.”
Police working to keep area safe
Police last night said they were working hard to keep the city safe despite the two recent sex attacks at Union Terrace Gardens.
Chief inspector Graeme Mackie, local area commander for Aberdeen city south, said: “The city centre enjoys a vibrant and thriving day and night time economy with in excess of 10,000 visitors every day.
“Police, along with partners, work hard to keep it safe and this partnership has been recognised with the Purple Flag award for the management of the city centre during the nighttime economy.
“Fortunately crimes of a serious nature are rare within the Union Terrace Gardens area, however when such crimes do occur, they rightly cause concern to the public and this is recognised by the police and our close partners.
“High visibility police patrols, both during the day and night, are regularly carried out and these are increased at peak times and in response to any ongoing policing operations.
“Such patrols are focussed across the city centre and include regular patrols within Union Terrace Gardens.
“The city centre is also well serviced by a large network of CCTV cameras which act as an excellent crime prevention and detection tool.
“With the city centre enjoying so many visitors at all times of the day and night, it is important that we re-emphasise some of our key safety messages and encourage those enjoying the city centre during the night time to do so responsibly.
“Know how you are getting home, stay with friends and during the hours of darkness stay in well lit areas.”
Sex attacks: Support for victims
Victims of sex attacks have been urged to report their ordeal to police – and seek help from support groups.
Phoenix Archer, a sexual violence prevention worker at Rape and Abuse Support, said it was important that both men and women took steps to reduce the risks of being targeted.
She said: “It’s unfortunate that we, as a society, have to safeguard ourselves when we’re simply living our lives, going about our business.
“It’s wise for everyone to remember that we shouldn’t give in to gender stereotypes.
“Both women and men need to take care of themselves and others when living their lives.
“I have some advice on ways to decrease the chances of sexual assault, but even if a crime does occur I would like to stress that getting help straightaway is invaluable to the victims for their legal, medical, mental, emotional and physical needs.
“Organisations such as RAS (Rape and Abuse Support), Rape Crisis Scotland, Pathways, Samaritans and Avenue are great places to start for help and advice.”
Ms Archer said using a buddy system when walking could help, and advised people to tell at least two friends or acquaintances where they were going and what time they expected to arrive.
She also cautioned against using headphones when walking away from main routes.
Ms Archer added: “I would like to reiterate that it is never the survivor’s fault for any assault that happens to them but the responsibility always lies with the perpetrator, they are the ones who are to blame and they are ones that need to be reported to the police as soon as possible.
“In a world where rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse occur, we need to educate ourselves, know where to turn for help and get justice when a crime has been committed.”