BTP Probes 13-Hour Delay After Esme Rice Reported Sexual Assault on London Train
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 27
BTP Probes 13-Hour Delay After Esme Rice Reported Sexual Assault on London Train
1 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 27
Summary
13 hours after reporting that two men groped her on an Elizabeth Line train into Stratford, Esme Rice still had no call from British Transport Police and posted videos describing the assault and delayed response.
Thousands of views followed within an hour, and Rice says BTP then called to confirm an investigation and arrange her statement, though the force said the contact was not prompted by her social media posts.
Assistant Chief Constable Ian Drummond-Smith later told Rice she should have been called that same evening, and BTP has opened an internal investigation into why she was not offered additional support.
Rice said the case echoed a 2024 harassment report she made on the Jubilee Line that ended with no suspect identified, reinforcing her view that BTP responds too slowly to deter offenders.
The complaint lands as TfL data showed 595 sexual offences on the Underground in 2024-25, the highest in five years apart from 2019-20, despite BTP saying sexual offending remains a policing priority.
With sexual offences at a five-year high, is London's 'See it. Say it. Sorted.' campaign failing to protect women on the Tube?
After a viral video forced a police response, is social media now the only way for assault victims to get justice?
When Help Comes Too Late: The 13-Hour Delay in Esme Rice’s Sexual Assault Report on London’s Elizabeth Line
Overview
On June 6, 2026, Esme Rice reported a sexual assault on the Elizabeth Line using the British Transport Police’s 61016 text-to-report service just two minutes after the incident, hoping for swift help. However, she faced a critical 13-hour delay before receiving a response, which left her feeling massively let down and convinced that no help would come. While Rice did not blame the BTP directly, she attributed the slow response to a lack of funding and resources, highlighting deeper structural issues within the force. This incident underscores the urgent need for improved support and faster police response for victims.