Everyone has the right to feel safe and protected from danger and harm.
Yet in recent years, following the harrowing murders of Sarah Everald, 33, and Sabina Nessa, 28, the safety of women and girls has became a major concern across the country.
Fear is preventing some females from leaving their home on their own or going out at night. They simply don't feel comfortable - even in public.
Read next: The brutes jailed for vicious attacks on women in the North East
The recent case of Matthew Stevens has shocked people across the North East and highlighted the need for services which protect women and girls.
The 28-year-old made every woman's worst nightmare come horrifically true when he attempted to murder a female he met on a night out in Newcastle in March last year.
When she refused to have sex with him, he kicked and stamped on her, stripped her naked, dragged her into wooded undergrowth in Brunswick Village and tried to finish her off. He then took her jewellery as a trophy and left her to die.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how she was found by a dog walker and was so badly injured that police initially thought she was dead. She was hypothermic, had multiple injuries and her face and head were so swollen she was unrecognisable.
The woman's injuries included bleeding into both eyeballs, multiple lacerations to her face and ears and a fractured eye socket and nose. She also had a punctured lung and her tongue piercing had been ripped out.
Stevens, of Brunswick Village, Newcastle, denied attempted murder but was found guilty by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court in December last year. Earlier this week, Stevens was sentenced to 29 years behind bars at the court in Newcastle.
During the sentencing hearing on Monday, the woman fought back tears as she read out her victim impact statement in the witness box. She told the court: "The past year has been a living nightmare.
"I no longer enjoy getting ready to go out. I often stay at home in my pyjamas because home is where I feel safe.
"Hearing what that animal did to me has resulted in my feeling consistent fear on a daily basis.
"For someone to nearly kill me, having never met me before and giving him no reason whatsoever to hurt me, leaves me constantly looking over my shoulder."
Fellow attempted murder victim Martina Turner, known as Tina, has offered her support to the woman. She knows just too well how much the attack will have affected her life.
Former college lecturer Tina was stabbed 29 times by her controlling partner Steven Wood in May 2021. The 54-year-old managed to survive the attack by hiding in a cupboard and using her phone to call for help.
Wood, 54, of no fixed abode, admitted attempted murder and was jailed for life in July last year. He must serve a minimum of 12 years before being released.
Mum-of-three Tina, who lives in Gateshead, said: "In her case, it was a total stranger. She will probably always be looking over her shoulder and will need a lot of therapy to leave the house. Some people don't even leave the house, some people feel unsafe.
"In my case it took nearly two years just to feel, not safe but, safe enough to leave the house. I don't think I will ever feel safe again.
"You can close the door to a certain extent but there's not one day when I don't think about what happened to me. No one will give me a time limit on when I will no longer have panic attacks when I go out.
"I have good days and bad days but I will not be a victim. I've learnt to be positive and feel like this is a second chance."
Tina said she attended a safeguarding group after being attacked where she made friends with other survivors. She now wants to see two changes made to the justice system in the UK.
Tina wants those convicted of attempted murder to be given the same sentence as those convicted of murder. She also wants defendants who initially deny a crime, before changing their plea to guilty, not to be given credit for a guilty plea.
She said: "If you lie that should have consequences. I think they should actually add something to the punishment.
"I really feel that attempted murder should be treated the same as murder. I feel the punishment, even 29 years, is not enough. It is only because us women have been fighting so strong for survival that they get away with it (a murder charge)."
Tina, who used to work in childcare, believes people should be taught about violence and domestic violence from a young age. She said: "I don't think kids get educated about life skills like this. I think we have to educate from an early age about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable and how to communicate with people."
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said tackling "despicable incidents" like this will continue to be a priority for the police force.
She said: "This was a harrowing ordeal for this truly brave survivor, and I hope she takes comfort knowing he is now behind bars, where he belongs. The harm caused to this victim, her family and wider community is both upsetting and frustrating.
"Although rare, despicable incidents like this do happen and tackling this will continue to be at the forefront of policing priorities I set for our region. Crucially, I want to be tackling the root-causes – the vile attitudes that breed into abhorrent behaviour like this.
"We’ll keep pushing forward with work to educate and drive behaviour change at societal level. We owe it to this brave survivor and all others to keep fighting to put an end to violence against women and girls."
More and more organisations are being set up to protect woman and girls in the region. A number of them have described their horror, after hearing about the case, and have praised the victim for her bravery.
Women's Street Watch Newcastle (WSWN) is an independent community group which aims to protect women while they are out and about at night. They began patrolling the streets after in September 2021.
Co-founder Charlie said the prison sentence handed to Stevens sends a message to all violent men - "You will be caught. You will be punished. You are not welcome in society."
She said: "We are horrified by this case, and further horrified to learn that this man has been on a trajectory to commit a crime like this for a long time.
"When we look into Stevens’ history, there are 13 previous convictions including for battery of former partners and harassment, and 35 domestic violence incidents where he was a suspect. It is criminal that he has been allowed to walk free for so long.
"Our thoughts are with our sister who has survived this attack. We are angry for you. We work in your name and the name of every woman who has been subjected to violence committed by men."
WSWN has urged women to use Claire's Law - which gives anyone a right to ask police if their boyfriend or girlfriend may pose a threat to them. It allows forces to disclose details about a partner's previous history of domestic violence or violent acts.
The law is named after Clare Wood, who was brutally murdered by her ex-partner George Appleton in Salford in 2009. Appleton, who had a history of violence against women, strangled Clare and set her on fire before killing himself.
Clare's dad Michael Brown, who has since died, campaigned for the law to be put in place to protect other women.
WSWN said the Homicide Timeline can also provide more information on how behaviour escalates.
Charlie added: "We know that the behaviour of violent men escalates, and this man has been on a trajectory to commit a crime like this for many years. What starts as 'jokes' about his partners appearance, and comments about her choice of clothes, escalates into tracking phone conversations, demanding to be updated about her location, which escalates into physical abuse, and further. This is a pattern of violent men."
Elaine Langshaw is the Chief Executive Officer of Newcastle Womens Aid, a charity which works towards ending violence against women and girls across the city.
She said there was nothing the victim ever did to justify being horrifically attacked by this perpetrator. She said he did it because he could, he had no regard for her as a person and her life.
Elaine said: "After violently attacking he left her to possibly die. He was totally in control of his actions and clearly a danger to women.
"It is terrifying to hear about the increased levels of violence and homicides being perpetrated against women and girls. Perpetrators must always be held accountable and sentencing should reflect this in all cases.
"The victim survived the brutal attack and has then had to re-live it all through the trial, this takes immense courage."
Becky Rogerson is the director of Wearside Women in Need (WWIN), which provides support for women in Sunderland.
She said the attack by Stevens will not only have an effect on the victim, but also her family as well. She said she hopes the woman's support network is strong and they get the help they need as a family to put their lives back together.
Becky said: "Another shocking case, another woman had her life turned into 'survival', another woman with a long process in front of her to try and recover her former freedom; another family devastated and left to pick up the pieces.
"Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) services are inundated with referrals, it's endemic and we need to keep being outraged about men’s violence, we need to spot the early signs, spot the dangerous people and have powers to prevent cases like this that are all too frequent."
It's now been two years since the shocking murder of Sarah Everard in London by off-duty Metropolitan Police constable Wayne Couzens. Her death in March 2021 led to protests and shone a light on the desperate need for change.
However the case of Stevens is a sharp reminder that the lives of women and girls are still at risk. They are still being abused, attacked and killed.
Will women and girls ever feel safe on the streets?
The fight continues.
Women and girls in need of support can contact the following services:
Newcastle Women's Aid - 0191 261 0504. Freephone: 0800 923 2622
Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland - Helpline: 0800 035 2794
Newcastle Integrated Domestic Abuse Service - 0191 214 6501 (24/7)
The Angelou Centre, Newcastle - 0191 226 0394
Victims First Northumbria 0800 011 3116 or text 07864959837 to request a call back.
Wearside Women in Need - 24hr Helpline 0800 066 5555. WebChat available Monday to Friday 9am-4:30pm
My Sisters Place (123 Borough Road, Middlesbrough) - 01642 241 864 or drop in if it's an emergency.
Refuge - Freephone, 24-hour helpline 0808 2000 247
The Survivor's Trust - Helpline 08088 010818
Read next:
