Nowhere is 100% safe, but the safety worries of women must be urgently addressed in Aberdeen, writes Rebecca Buchan.
I have always considered myself streetwise. Growing up in Peterhead in the nineties and early noughties was not quite the same as gangland New York… But life in the Blue Toon could sometimes be a bit rough.
Drugs were a problem and were often visible. And, from a young age, you became more aware of your surroundings.
But I never felt scared. Nothing that bad ever really happened.
Then, in the summer of 2007, there was a murder which shook the whole town. Twenty-one-year-old Saranna Buchan was killed by her boyfriend, James Logan, at a flat in North Street. After the 41-year-old beat her to death, he killed himself.
Saranna had been in my year at school and, while we moved in different circles, she was always someone who would pass you with a smile. She was also one of those “weel kent” faces in the town, having been crowned Buchan Princess four years before, and her death left people reeling.
That was the first time I realised such violent incidents were not isolated to big cities and police dramas. The protective bubble I thought shielded places like the north-east had just burst.
A few years later, I started working as a reporter and quickly found myself covering the court beat. The reality of just how serious crime was in Aberdeen was hammered home pretty quickly.
Day in and day out, explicit details of murders, rapes, abductions, armed robberies and even terrorism attempts were laid out before me. And, very quickly, I was no longer shocked by some of the abhorrent things I heard. They became almost normal.
In truth, that was the reason I stopped covering court. I was becoming desensitised to the gravity of what I was listening to, and I didn’t like it.
Because these things are not normal. They are terrifying, not only for the victims, but also for those who witness them, read about them or hear about them.
Yet, it’s not very often that this part of the world is portrayed in the media as dangerous. But Jill Barclay’s murder last year sent shock waves through the region.
The mother of two had just been walking home when she was brutally attacked in the early hours of the morning. Her body was then set alight, and she was left to burn.
Such brutality is, of course, rare, but the response to Jill’s death from other women was telling. Many have felt unsafe, especially on our streets, for a long time.
Scores soon marched in protest. They were no longer prepared to continue living their lives constantly looking over their shoulders.
Only 11% reported harassment and assault to police
The Press and Journal then surveyed our readers about safety in Aberdeen. All could share their experiences but, unsurprisingly, the majority of those who responded were female. Of those, 90% said they felt scared in our city, just because they were women.
But, one of the starkest realisations came after learning just how many had been subjected to some degree of sexual harassment or assault – and hadn’t felt like they could report it.
Among respondents who had suffered some sort of abuse, only 11% say they went to the police about what happened. And a striking 62% of those felt the reporting was badly handled.
When we spoke to the police about our survey findings, they were quick to tell us the results didn’t match up with official crime statistics. But, if only a 10th of the population has the confidence to speak out, that’s part of the problem.
Aberdeen City Council, too, speedily dismissed the more than 450 people who filled out our extensive and lengthy questionnaire. When told that around 75% felt the city’s street lighting was inadequate, a short, three-line statement pointing us to Aberdeen’s Purple Flag status was issued, with no further response. The council felt it was a matter mainly for the police to address.
How long until public concerns are taken seriously?
Safety is arguably the most important and basic issue when it comes to ensuring that this is a city people want to live and work in. It is simply not good enough to hand over the reins when matters like CCTV, street lighting and city wardens are all within the local authority’s control.
I am aware there are very few places in the world that can claim to be 100% safe, and I certainly do not have all the answers. But we should start by acknowledging where there are problems, and refuse to brush them under the carpet.
Just last week, Aberdeen dad Steven Johnson died after being attacked following a night out in the city centre. While we don’t know the full circumstances yet, it’s another tragic event that’s likely to make people even more wary of visiting Aberdeen city centre.
How many more incidents like this need to happen before public concerns are taken seriously?
Now isn’t the time for the police and the council to go on the defensive, or bury their heads in the sand while citing statistics.
Like Saranna’s death was for me 16 years ago, what happened to Jill Barclay was a wake-up call for many that can’t be ignored.
Rebecca Buchan is City and Shire Team Leader for The Press and Journal and Evening Express
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