Ruth Langsford has revealed she was sexually assaulted between the age of 11-16 while making her way to and from school.
The presenter was stalked and flashed multiple times, and touched by a man on the London tube.
In a piece for Best magazine, Ruth wrote, “In my case, my earliest recollections all centred around travelling to and from school in London.
“The Tube was my mode of transport and in the Seventies, it also seemed that perverts and predators were drawn to the same routes I took like wasps to jam.”
She continued, “I was flashed at more than once, followed a few times and a man once put his hand up my skirt on a crowded train.
“These incidents all happened to me between the ages of about 11 and 16. I now ask myself why I didn’t shout, scream, kick up a fuss, report them to an official – all the things I would urge any girl or woman to do today.”
Ruth made the decision to speak out, following the heartbreaking attack and death of Sarah Everard in the UK.
“Not every man is a danger, not every man is a sexual predator or a murderer but they are also not us,” she said.
“The awful death of Sarah Everard has got a lot of women re-evaluating what we feel, what we have, or do, put up with – just by being a woman.
“I have a husband who honours, respects, champions and defends women – however, he also has no experience of sexual harassment.
“When I have the same conversation with my girlfriends, they all have frightening tales to tell.”
If you or a loved one needs support, contact Women’s Aid at 1800 341 900 or the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre at 1800 77 8888.