LONDON (AP) — Violence against women and girls has reached epidemic levels and police are treating it as a threat on the same scale as terrorism, Britain's police chiefs said Tuesday.
More than 1 million violent crimes against women and girls were recorded by U.K. police in 2022 to 2023, accounting for one-fifth of all recorded crime, a new report commissioned by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing said.
One in every six murders was related to domestic abuse in the same period. At least one in every 12 women each year will be a victim of crimes including sexual offenses, rape, stalking, harassment or online sexual abuse, the report estimated, with the exact number thought to be much higher because of crimes that go unreported.
“Violence against women and girls is a national emergency," Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said in a statement. "We need to move forward as a society to make change and no longer accept violence against women and girls as inevitable.”
Blyth said the data was “staggering” and growing in scale and complexity every year, with such crimes increasing by 37% from 2018 to 2022.
She said one growing concern is the way some online influencers “radicalize” young men and boys into extreme misogyny. Senior officers focusing on violence against women are in discussions with counterterrorism police on how to tackle the issue, Blyth said.
Teachers in the U.K. have expressed worries about the spread of “toxic masculinity” among boys influenced by the misogynistic views of some social media personalities.
Britain's government last year classified violence against women and girls as a national threat to public safety, and police forces were told to prioritize their response to the issue in the same way as they do terrorism and serious organized crime.
The report said thousands of police officers were newly trained to investigate rape and serious sexual offenses in the past year.
But Blyth said this wasn't enough and called for more government support to tackle a criminal justice system that's “overwhelmed and under-performing for victims.”
FILE - A sign stands in front of the New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, in London, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Cam Rising threw for 92 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game due to an injury to his throwing hand as No. 11 Utah beat Baylor 23-12 on Saturday.
Rising scrambled and released the ball just before being driven out of bounds and was shoved into the water coolers on the Baylor sideline with 1:55 left in the second quarter, and went to the locker room for X-rays. Backup quarterback Isaac Wilson led the Utes’ offense after halftime for a second straight game.
Micah Bernard rushed for 118 yards to lead Utah (2-0).
Dequan Finn threw for 115 yards and a touchdown in his second start for Baylor (1-1). Finn struggled against Utah’s defense, losing a fumble and getting sacked three times.
Utah controlled play on both sides of the ball in the first half.
The Utes got on the board midway through the first quarter when Money Parks caught a short pass and turned it into a 28-yard reverse. Rising faked a handoff to Dijon Stanley before flipping the ball to Parks, who scored untouched.
Utah extended its lead to 14-0 on a 2-yard catch by Micah Bernard 20 seconds later. Connor O’ Toole forced Finn to fumble on a blindside hit and Karene Reid recovered the ball at the Baylor 3, setting up the Utes’ second touchdown.
Baylor had minus-10 yards on 10 plays in the first quarter.
Tao Johnson grabbed the ball on a blocked 50-yard field goal attempt and raced 77 yards down the sideline to extend Utah’s lead to 23-0 with 5:21 left in the second quarter. Johnson was the first Utah player to score a touchdown off a blocked field goal since Jay Hill in 1999 against Wyoming.
THE TAKEAWAY
Baylor: The Bears had a nightmarish start on offense and never fully recovered. Baylor did not gain a first down until midway through the second quarter and totaled 48 yards by halftime.
Utah: Another dominant performance for the Utes came at a price. Rising suffered an apparent injury to his throwing hand and an extended absence could affect the trajectory of Utah’s season.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Utah should move into the top 10 in the next AP Poll on Sunday following the victory.
UP NEXT
Baylor: Hosts Air Force on Saturday.
Utah: At Utah State on Saturday.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) throws against Baylor in the first half during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) tcarries the ball; against Baylor in the first half during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) runs past Baylor linebacker Keaton Thomas (11) in the first half during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
