Campaigners Say Mixed-Sex Changing Rooms Expose Women to Sexual Predators

A new report has raised concerns that women and girls are being targeted by sexual predators in mixed-sex changing rooms across leisure centres in England and Wales.

The Women’s Rights Network (WRN) obtained police data showing that in 2023 there were 146 reported sexual offences at leisure centres, including 80 sexual assaults, 16 rapes, and 65 incidents of voyeurism. The incidents were recorded across 220 centres, with seven perpetrated by male staff members.

The WRN warned that mixed-sex changing rooms can act as a magnet for sexual predators, creating hidden dangers for female users. Previous WRN research found that only one in three local authorities provide single-sex changing facilities in swimming pools, leaving many women and girls vulnerable.

Olympic swimming champion Sharron Davies MBE backed the WRN’s calls for action, urging local authorities to protect female swimmers.

“Women and girls face hidden dangers when using local pools because mixed-sex changing rooms are proving to be a magnet for sexual predators,” Davies said.

She added that horrendous crimes, including sexual assaults, voyeurism, and rapes, are taking place in swimming pool changing rooms. Davies also noted that many leisure centres have followed Sport England guidance to create mixed-sex “changing villages,” leaving one-third of facilities without single-sex changing or shower areas for female swimmers.

Personal Accounts Highlight Risks

The report highlighted several cases illustrating the impact of these incidents. A teenage girl in Hull was sexually assaulted in swimming pool showers in April 2023. She later told Hull Crown Court that she suffered nightmares, panic attacks, and anxiety, saying:

“I couldn’t cope with the thoughts that plagued my mind. I suffered vivid nightmares, those same scenes playing on repeat in my head. To this day, the smell of chlorine makes my muscles tense.”

Meanwhile, police raised concerns about potential voyeurism at a proposed swimming pool in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. During a planning meeting in September, a police officer suggested redesigning the facility to demonstrate that violence against women and girls had been considered.

In 2024, two men, Adam Dennis and Robert Morgan, were convicted after secretly filming at least 6,000 women and girls in swimming pool changing rooms.

Employment and Workplace Issues

A separate but related case involved Scottish nurse Sandie Peggie, who successfully challenged NHS Fife after being suspended for complaining about sharing a women-only changing room with a trans-identifying doctor. After weeks of testimony, an employment judge ruled that NHS Fife had harassed her, highlighting ongoing concerns over changing room arrangements in workplaces.

The WRN report and these cases have renewed calls for local authorities and service providers to review policies on single-sex facilities to ensure the safety and privacy of women and girls in changing rooms.

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