Better education for men about issues of harassment is “something to look at” but “not all men are predators”, a minister said today.
Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, said the case of Sarah Everard was a “rare incident” but everybody should feel safe walking down the street.
She told Sky News: “I do want to assure women that our streets on the whole are safe but this is a rare incident.”
Asked about better education for men, she said: “It’s important to stress that not all men are predators ... but throughout our education system it’s not just geared up on the academic side but also developing people’s character and their interactions with others. This is certainly something we can look at once again.”
It came as Home Secretary Priti Patel sought to reassure the public about the police after an officer was arrested on suspicion of the kidnap and murder of Ms Everard. The officer, in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, remains in custody. He was also detained over a separate allegation of indecent exposure.
Writing in The Sun, Ms Patel said concerns had been compounded because the man arrested was an officer, but that the “vast majority” of police personnel are people of the highest integrity.
