UK Police apparently refused to see patterns of abuse by a man repeatedly victimizing women.

The BBC investigation revealed that 11 women tried to report Harkins to Police Scotland as far back as 2012.

Despite allegations of physical attacks, frauds, threats and abuse, Harkins was not investigated by police until late 2019.

This one man abusing dozens of women, despite reports to police, wasn’t stopped until far too late.

His patterns, finally leading to his arrest and conviction, fit within much larger patterns of normalized abuse.

The news about abuse at McDonalds by many men paints a very widespread, systemic danger in the UK even at work.

A BBC investigation two years ago was told that workers, some as young as 17, were being groped and harassed. Earlier this year, McDonald’s staff told us they still faced sexual abuse and harassment.

McDonald’s said it welcomed the new measures, adding that they would “build on the significant progress we have already made in this space”. But one former worker said the announcement would not make a difference.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is now extending its original plan agreed in 2023 to protect staff at the fast-food chain from sexual harassment.