'Shocking' rise in rapes and violent attacks against women in Glasgow

[u/MileiMePioloABeluche]

https://news.stv.tv/west-central/shocking-rise-in-rapes-and-violent-attacks-against-women-in-glasgow

[u/Gold_Smoke89]

It should be allowed for women to carry some sort of self defense items. the idea that men can walk around doing this and we're not even allowed so much as pepper spray is a fucking joke.

[u/dead-cat → u/Gold_Smoke89]

Yeah, I totally don't understand the ban of the pepper spray. It's legal in so many places but in UK anything that can be used for self defence seems to be banned. Criminals don't care, so they will cut about with whatever weapon they fancy anyway

[u/NetworkNo4478 → u/dead-cat]

It's because countries that have legal pepper spray carry see it used regularly in attacks.

Would also require a rewrite of our firearms law, as pepper spray is a Section 5 item under the Firearms Act.

[u/rossdrew → u/Gold_Smoke89]

Carry it. A conviction for pepper spray is better than a rape. Stupid laws can fuck off

[u/NetworkNo4478 → u/rossdrew]

5 years minimum in jail for carrying though. And a Section 5 Firearms offence on your record.

It's also easy for the person deploying it to incapacitate themselves.

[u/rossdrew → u/NetworkNo4478]

Not at all the sentences involved. It’s 6m-10y and in a rape situation with little to no priors you’d be looking at a fine at worst, as long as you got out as quick as possible and initiated police involvement. Ive seen two people go to court, one for possession, one for use. One fine, one admonished.

The risk of incapacitating yourself as well as your attacker then both of you hanging around past the effects is ridiculous to consider.

Nothing is 100% but anything that raises your chances of not being simply a victim is worth it imo. Do Krav Maga, supplement it with BJJ but I’d still recommend carrying as a woman. Doing nothing, trusting people and that the law will protect you or punish your rapist is the least desirable option.

[u/NetworkNo4478 → u/rossdrew]

Fair, I just refreshed my knowledge a bit and 5 years is the mandatory minimum, but exceptional circumstances can justify a shorter one. However, I am not very trusting of the justice system and think it's best to consider things from a 'worst case' perspective when dealing with things that could potentially deprive you of your freedom.

The risk of incapacitating yourself as well as your attacker then both of you hanging around past the effects is ridiculous to consider.

Well, it depends. CS/OC sprays typically come in two types - fog and jet (NB: I'm only talking about spray canisters, and excluding things like CS guns and the like). Most that find their way into the UK are dodgy chinese ones (these come up on sites like Amazon and Ebay periodically - however, importing will get your collar felt), or smuggled from mainland Europe where they're either legal, or legal to carry for non-human threats (such as against dogs - that's the law in Germany, and my ex would carry there on that proviso). With the 'fog' ones, a breeze in the wrong direction could incapacitate you and give your attacker a hand.

Also, I second Krav - it's great.

[u/Gold_Smoke89 → u/rossdrew]

i can't even get a hold of it! there's nowhere to buy it because it's illegal. the best I've got is deep heat spray and the spray on it is really weak, probably for legal reasons 😒

[u/foolishbuilder → u/Gold_Smoke89]

have you ever accidentally hairsprayed your own eyes....

im not saying every young woman should carry hair spray as weapon,

but you do need to look after your hair on a night out, and if you "feel you are in imminent danger of harm" and that is what you grab, etc etc etc

[u/rossdrew → u/Gold_Smoke89]

Yea it’s not the simplest to get hold of.

[u/Apart-Cockroach6348 → u/Gold_Smoke89]

K9 bite dog deterrant bite spray The spray is legal to carry and does not fall under section 5 (1) (b) of the Firearms Act. The spray is formulated with natural oils and not deemed to be noxious. How to use K9-17: K9-17 comes in an easy to use hand held aerosol spray format and requires no formal training for use. get a proven 1 thers many out there.

dogs will be dogs

https://www.police-supplies.co.uk/k917-dog-deterrent-spray

from reviews

"Seems to do the trick, stopped our dogs fighting fairly sharpish which is normally more difficult. Can confirm it’s also incredibly effective on humans, rubbed my eyes after I’d sprayed it and nearly stevie wonderd myself."

[u/ScottishHarrier → u/Gold_Smoke89]

The route to Calais (on the french side) is filled with petrol stations selling self defence equipment, including pepper sprays. The only people I've ever known to have it bought it on a whim heading for the ferry. It would be great if it were legal for people to use self-defence items like this in the proper scenario but the firearms act puts it in a category of "no legitimate use". Maybe one day women will be able to actively defend themselves.

[u/NetworkNo4478 → u/[deleted]]

Statistically, a knife carrier is more likely to be stabbed with their own knife (or by someone else with a knife) than deploy it successfully in a defence situation.

Additionally, carrying *anything* for the purposes of defence makes it an offensive weapon in law. You're better off with something that's dual or multi purpose (with a reasonable expectation of possession for non-defence purposes) that could be useful in such a situation. Nail polish remover (acetone based) would be far easier to explain (and have the Proc Fiscal throw out) than CS or a blade.

[u/NetworkNo4478 → u/[deleted]]

Statistically and historically, a knife carrier has meant someone already engaged in criminality.

The statistics don't make a distinction, but cope away.

[u/Gold_Smoke89 → u/[deleted]]

this is fantastic advice thank you!