Whenever Jade Patrick is in a taxi she pulls out strands of hair and leaves them on a seat, in case the worst should happen.

This is just one of the precautions women travelling alone take for their safety, which for many sadly forms a grim daily or nightly ritual.

“You always text a friend to tell them where you are – you can do location sharing on your phone,” said Jade, the CEO of a domestic abuse charity.

Kent has found itself at the centre of some of the most high-profile and shocking cases of violence against women in recent years.

In April 2021, Julia James - a 53-year-old PCSO - had been walking her dog on a footpath in Snowdown, near Canterbury, when she was murdered by Callum Wheeler.

A month earlier, Sarah Everard, 33, was kidnapped from the streets of London, and brought to Kent, where she was raped and murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens, from Deal.

The murder sparked widespread anger and protest, including marches in Kent

More recently, artist Claire Knights, 54, was found dead with blunt-force injuries after disappearing while walking her dog in Minnis Bay last month, with a 20-year-old man set to stand trial accused of her murder.

Other women have faced incidents of rape, violence, stalking, sexual assault and harassment which have not captured the attention of the press – or have even gone unreported to the police.

‘I would not walk the dogs by myself’

Speaking to KentOnline in a busy Canterbury High Street, women described how their behaviours have changed over the years, several citing the death of Mrs James.

Jo Holton, from Littlebourne, said she would “always be wary”.

“I think it is because of what has happened, such as with Julia James,” the 53-year-old said.

“I live outside Canterbury and I would not walk the dogs by myself and would go with my husband or friend.

“I would not worry too much about walking along a high street but I would not walk alone in a woodland because of what has happened [to Sarah Everard and Julia James].”

Harriet Jackson, who used to live in Snowdown, where Mrs James was killed, would not walk alone at night.

“I kept my horses there and I used to walk my dog there,” the 27-year-old said.

“That was worrying and it opened my eyes, especially when Sarah Everard was walking to her home around the corner.

“I did worry following the Julia James killing because it happened near one of the bridleways where I used to live, so we always said to each other: ‘Do not walk on your own as you do not know what could happen’.

“That was for the first few months.”

Sittingbourne resident Beth Wells, visiting Canterbury with her 20-year-old daughter Imogen, said she now thinks about when and where she is walking.

“I would avoid walking by myself in places such as open spaces or woodland,” the 47-year-old said.

“I would always make sure I am walking with other people.”

But an Aylesham mum, who asked not to be named, said she is comfortable with walking alone late at night and her attitude has not changed following the death of Mrs James, who she knew.

“I was still doing what I usually do and I was still coming home at 2am,” the 31-year-old said.

“I do not feel unsafe in the village. I grew up there and I always have my phone and keys in my hand.”

How many crimes go unrecorded?

Last year, a survey by the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Matthew Scott, asked women how safe they felt in different locations at night and in the day, such as in their local streets, railway stations and homes.

Some 8,263 people took part in the survey, and it revealed parks and open spaces were ranked the least safe by all but one age group, which was under-17s.

Railway stations, town centres, taxi ranks and bus stations ranked low in all age groups.

Unsurprisingly, all women and girls felt safer during the day.

Figures show that between 2020 and September 2023 in Kent there were 4,713 reports of rape on women over 18, some 18,964 reports for harassment, 12,611 for stalking and 24,712 for assault that caused injury.

All those figures have decreased since 2000. However, the Kent PCC survey suggests that many crimes go unrecorded, with less than 37% of respondents who had been victims of crimes ranging from sexual offences, stalking and drink spiking, reporting it.

Of the 8,263 who filled in the survey, 69% were not a victim of crime.

Rosanagh Fuller, the CEO of Power of Women Thanet, a charity established in 2015 which celebrates gender equality through creativity, says the last two years have highlighted their work is “more important than ever”.

“We have a long way to go and we are very committed to young people educating themselves around gender inequality and raising awareness about why these incidents keep happening,” she said.

Ms Fuller added that within society there are fundamental issues of misogyny and the “acceptance of violence against women”.

“Unfortunately, it is every year and it is every generation who will know the names of these women.

“This is not something that is happening as a one-off – it is happening every single year and it is happening in our community.”

‘Incredibly dangerous’ living on the streets

There are not just fears for women walking the streets – there are concerns for those who sleep on them too.

Research by Kent-based homeless charity Porchlight, published in 2018, found that 59% had experienced violence and 30% had been sexually assaulted or abused.

For the majority, this was not from someone they knew but a member of the general public or another rough sleeper.

Eleanor Sheath, from Porchlight, says it is “incredibly dangerous” to be a homeless woman.

“Sadly, lots of women who are on the streets have experienced trauma and abuse – both before and during homelessness,” she said.

“They live in fear of being attacked, exploited or worse.”

Many who experienced violence or sexual abuse while sleeping rough did not report it to the police. They didn’t feel they would be believed or were too afraid to speak out.

Due to this trauma, she says it can be difficult to earn the trust of homeless women, so they have developed specialist support from female staff to work exclusively with them.

Of course women’s safety is not just an issue confined to the streets, but at home too.

The impact of domestic abuse

While high-profile cases leave women fearing an attack in the open or from a stranger, figures from the Office of National Statistics show that women are more likely to be killed by someone they know, and in a domestic setting than in an open space.

Domestic abuse also leads to victims feeling unsafe when they are out and about, says Ms Patrick, of the Daisy Chain Project in Kent and Sussex, a domestic abuse and legal advice charity.

She said: “Even if you feel safe walking the street from strangers, you might not be from someone like an estranged ex-partner.

“Quite a lot of time, as a result of the abuse and trauma, we have people who suffer with their mental health or develop agoraphobia, which is a fear of leaving their home, or they alter their routines so they do not go to certain places.

“The people who we help generally do not feel safe going out on their own.”

Kent Police ‘share the hurt and disgust’ caused by killings

Tackling violence against women and girls is something Kent Police has been working hard on for a long time, but efforts across the country were renewed after the deaths of Ms Everard and Mrs James, says Det Supt Mark Weller from the Protecting Vulnerable People Command.

He says the murders of both women “strike hard” and impacted the force “massively”.

“We share the hurt and disgust they caused,” he told KentOnline.

“Julia was one of our own and Sarah was at the hands of someone who in no way represents the service at all – and we work hard to eradicate that every single day.”

More than 900 investigative officers at the force are working in roles specifically concerning violence against women, such as rapes, domestic abuse and sexual exploitation.

Det Supt Weller says the force is focused on working with local authorities and education providers to address persistent crime, increasing visibility and engaging with the community.

The PCC survey lays bare the worrying percentage of women who report crimes, and Det Supt Weller believes trust in the force is key to increasing reporting.

“We are the public and the public are the police, so people have to have trust and confidence, otherwise policing will be an incredibly tricky job,” he adds.

“By and large, there is trust and confidence in policing but it grates and it hurts every single one of us when matters such as Wayne Couzens take place, because one individual unravels the absolutely fantastic work going on to improve trust in policing.

“Our reporting rates are very good. Walk and talks are a good example of how we get out there to talk to women, girls, men and boys about the importance of reporting.”

When asked if we will ever get to a place where women can feel safe walking by themselves, Det Supt Weller said: “I would love to think everyone out there feels safe but I know that is not the reality.

“While we are doing an inordinate amount of work to make it the reality – and that is our goal as we want people in Kent to do what and when they want without fear of crime – it is not a realistic outlook to think there will never be crime.

“The feeling of safety is very personal and subjective depending on who you are.

“What I find frightening, might not be for you, and what I find safe, might not be for you.”

And what will it take for the force to achieve its goal?

“More hard work, assistance, working with our partner agencies and consistently developing good practice from feedback from our communities,” Det Supt Weller said.

“It is important we listen and act upon that to make sure they feel safe.”

Det Supt Weller says violent attacks committed by strangers, such as occurred with Ms Everard and Mrs James, are “rare occurrences”.

But, he adds the impact of a single homicide on a community is “significant”.

‘We should feel safe and not subject to violence’

Since 2020, 10 women have been murdered in the county, while there has been one manslaughter charge.

Meanwhile, 23 men were murdered and there have been seven manslaughter charges.

But charities say one death is too many.

And it is clear the unforgettable nature of the high-profile murders has, in some cases, had a lasting impact on women in Kent, as the places they feel safe, and willing to venture alone, become fewer and fewer.

Rosanagh Fuller, from Power of Women, says: “Every single incident of this is devastating and unacceptable.

“The fact it is happening in our home area as well as nationally and internationally is as devastating.

“It is people’s individual liberty to feel safe and to not be subject to violence.”