"I hear a noise outside"

So I have had many experiences as a woman when it comes to harassment like so many other women out there. Since the age of about 8 or 9 I have dealt with advances from men 10-20-30-40 years older than me throughout my life since the moment I hit puberty and a couple years before that. I have been followed in cars, on bikes, on foot I've even been followed on scooters (and I do mean scooters the two wheeled ones where one has to push with damn one foot) but we digress. I have vivid memories of the times I've been followed, cat called, stalked, harassed and more and that's saying something considering I can't remember the majority of my childhood and teenage years.

I once had a full grown man in a white van (stereotype I know) when I was on my way home from Asda (it's a five minute walk from where I live. Legit across the road) drive around a roundabout at least 4 times watching me and saying "Do you need a lift" and "you look so pretty why don't you get in" amongst other things that I won't say. Which I had completely ignored barely looked at him because I was so use to it. There were others around. They also didn't say anything, because it's that normalized and I ask you. Why? Why is it normalized? Why is it okay for a fully grown man to follow a girl who's maybe 12-13 years old on her way home from Asda with a bag of sweets to shout out of a van window them kinds of things and get away with it and no one do anything. What happened to a society to be so bad where those kinds of things are okay to get away with.  

But that just one example. Let's go to my second okay.

It's a late night. I'm chilling in my bed. 

Think I was just watching a movie. And cuddled up and cosy. I hear a noise outside think nothings up with it. Probably just my cats (I had two at the time. Katy and rhydian) trying to get in, so I get up and I open my window and call them. My cats are no where to be seen. Okay. Weird could have swore I just heard them. So I close my window and cosy on back down. Now one of the ways my cats use to let them know they wanted in was to tippy tap on my window ledge and at the glass. (I live on the ground floor) So five minutes go by I hear another noise there's another tap at my window. There's a few. I'm actively thinking it's my cats and open my window again moaning about how cold it is outside but they ain't there..(annoying) so I call them again and again. Now this goes on for a good half an hour. Me opening and closing my window for my cats as one does until the one time it happens and I decided to peak out of my curtains to check if they are there or not and I see a random man. I freeze. I actively froze.

He's hiding behind that fenced wall..just peaking out but I clocked him. Bare in mind it's pitch black outside okay. It's dark AF. So I cower back. And I'm tryna think of what the fuck to do. My mind is racking thinking of what the fuck I'm meant to do and what he looks like and whats with him trying to think about how long he's been out there, how many times I've opened my damn window thinking my cats want in. 

Then I remember he has a ladder with him..now he's either a burglar or something worse..however while my brain is going into overload in those precious seconds..there's another tap at my window..I'm jumping out of bed running to my dad frantically telling him there's a man outside and tapping at my window. Now my dad. Props to him. He's up and he's grabbing damn nunchucks (some cheap plastic ones be brought online) and he's off. I'm panicking tryna not have a panic attack for a good five minutes before he comes back in and tells me there's no one there. I'm shook. He tells me if I hear or see anything again to come get him. So I'm freaking out but I go back to my room crawl my ass back into my damn bed going back to what I was doing tryna calm tf down. Five minutes go by. Nothing. Ten minutes. Nothing. Almost reaching what feels like fifteen damn minutes and *tap tap tap* I froze but I move. I'm running to my dad and telling him and he's off like a damn shot outside. A couple minutes go by and he tells me the worst possible thing..the bloke was hiding under my window ledge! He's been waiting for me to open my window for my cats. He's been acting like my cats tapping at my window wanting in. How long had this man been watching me to know that. I'm freaking out. My dad's calling the police. I'm begging him not to go back outside. The only reason the bloke ain't beaten to a pulp is because he was gone by the time my dad got out there. The only reason my dad knows he was there you may ask. My dad checked my window. There were foot fronts in the dirt directly under my window and fingerprints on my window ledge. Police take there damn time so by the time they get here the blokes long gone. I gave them the best description I could, they go check outside take evidence and whatever and they are gone in 10 minutes..for a few days there's nothing. No one outside my window. Nothing from the police. No updates. A week goes by and my dad's told that the police caught the guy. They raided his home. They found 1000's of images of children on his computer. There was a couple of me but I'm not sure what of. Is he arrested no. Is he sent to prison no. What happened?..he was sent to Wales 'for his safety' yes for his safety because where I live people woulda burnt his house down and worse. 

The reason I'm sharing just two of these experiences is because while they are vastly different they have the same undertone. I was followed by a man and there was nothing done about it. Why should women have to live like this. Why should we have to experience this. Why are we told growing up when boys do something to us it's just "Boys being boys" why are we told men are immature and don't know any better when there are good men out there proving daily that they do in fact know better but time and time again because the other men get away with it and are given just a slap on the wrists and we as women are just told that "it is what it is" they get away with it. Enough is enough. 

Chloe, England