According to a report released Tuesday by the Senator of the state of new York Diane Savino, the number of sexual crimes in the subway has increased by more than 50% over the past three years, while the number of arrests on charges in these crimes has increased by only 22%.
In 2014, metro has registered 620 cases of sexual harassment and other sexual crimes. In 2015, the number has risen to 738, and in 2016 — up to 941. Thus the rise of crime is obvious — 53%. For the first 5 months of 2017 was 434 cases of sexual crimes that on 9% more than in the same period of 2016.
Sexual offences include sexual assault, but touching of a sexual nature, and public indecency (for example, the appearance in the Nude or nudity of certain body parts).
In the period from 2014 to 2015, the police arrested 403 person in connection with offences committed sexual offenses. In 2016, the number of arrested violators has reached 491, and in 2017, was arrested 194 of the criminal.
The report also says that 1/3 of those who were arrested for committing a sexual offence has previously been prosecuted on similar charges.
Senator Savino introduced the state legislature a bill that proposes to equate sexual touching criminal offense class D, not class A misdemeanor, which would increase the penalty for such action to 7 years of imprisonment is one year.
The MTA urges passengers to report sexual crimes through the online form, which was launched in 2014.
