'Predators thrive when complaints are dismissed and too many stay silent'

ملخص مفصل

EXCLUSIVE: TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak warns 'even in 2026 too many workplaces still have cultures and systems that allow abuse to flourish and fail women when they report it'

This week has been a grim reminder of the scale of violence against women and girls in our society.

On Monday Russell Brand was sentenced to more than ten years in prison for rape and sexual assault. Now there have been allegations that David Walliams, who denies wrongdoing, used his fame and power to prey on teenage girls and young women for sex.

These are two different cases but our thoughts are with those who came forward and with all survivors who have experienced sexual violence, including those who may never feel able to speak publicly about what happened to them.

The headlines have shone a spotlight on individual men. But they should also force us to ask a wider question. What was known? What was suspected? And why were the warning signs ignored for so long?

Even people who say they knew nothing of Brand's crimes have described his behaviour towards women as an “open secret”. In 2004 Jonathan Ross joked about Walliams “going home with a 15-year-old” in front of a packed audience at the British Comedy Awards.

Those details matter because sexual predators rarely operate in complete secrecy. Too often there are rumours, concerns, warning signs and witnesses. Too often people look the other way.

This should be a moment for women - for every woman reading these stories and recognising something of her own experiences in the headlines.

But it cannot be a fight for women alone. This is a moment for men to step up too. It is a moment to think honestly about the times we have laughed off sexist “banter”, witnessed inappropriate behaviour and said nothing, or chosen comfort over challenge when faced with misogyny.

As General Secretary of the TUC, I know the trade union movement has its own responsibility to confront these issues. We have a duty to tackle sexism where it exists and to help make workplaces safer for everyone. Because workplace culture is at the heart of many of these stories.

مطلع المقال، مقتطف من Daily Mirror. لقراءة المقال كاملًا، افتحه على موقع الناشر.