Commissioner offers support to Councillor after targeted abuse

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer, has condemned the recent sexual abuse aimed at Mobberley Councillor, Charlotte Leach, and reiterated the importance of tackling violence against women and girls.

Mobberley Councillor Charlotte Leach answered a call from a withheld number early on Tuesday 14 September, but instead of a concerned constituent she heard a man breathing heavily, masturbating and using sexual language.

This was not the first time that Cllr Leach has been the victim of targeted abuse and a previous incident led to her home address being removed from Cheshire East Council’s website.

John Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said: “What happened to Cllr Leach was disgusting. I want to offer her my support, as well as my reassurance that I’m going to do all I can to stop this kind of abuse against women in Cheshire. I agree with Cllr Leach and her view that a wider conversation is needed about how we better protect women in public office.

“Tackling violence against women and girls goes beyond those in public office and is part of my Police and Crime Plan. I am determined to do all I can to ensure that others are not targeted in a similar way to Cllr Leach. More needs to be done to educate people about what constitutes unacceptable behaviour and provide them with the support to challenge and report these incidents.

Cllr Charlotte Leach said: “I would like to thank the Police and Crime Commissioner for his support. It is vital that we have an open and honest conversation about how we better protect those in public office from harassment of this type. There is a world of difference between holding our politicians to account and this kind of misogynistic behaviour. I hope that by sharing my story, I can encourage other women to speak out about their experiences.

Pictured - Cllr Charlotte Leach.