Four cities in Texas have ranked among the most dangerous in the country in terms of crimes committed against women.
The data was released this month by the insurance and management site valuepenguin.com. It stated one in six women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape at some time in her life.
The survey compared the crime, public policy, education and wealth and healthcare statistics for women in 261 cities across America to give the cities a safety ranking.
Out of those 261 cities, Houston ranked next to last at 260. Only Miami in Florida is more dangerous for women.
Three other Texas cities, Amarillo, Beaumont, Lubbock and Abilene scored about as badly, ranking at 257, 255, 254 and 251, respectively.
Of 26 large cities ranked in order of safety by the study, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston all appeared in the bottom five.
Each city’s overall rank was calculated from a number of factors. Houston’s worst score related to crime, where it ranked 240th.
All of the cities that appeared in the top 10 had populations of less than 300,000 people. Thousand Oaks in California emerged as the safest city in the United States.
As well as crime, the study considered access to healthcare, cancer rates, levels of education, policies in the workplace, female representation in the police force, conviction rates of offenders and income levels.
There’s considerable evidence that violent crime, including offenses against women, has spiked in many Texas cities this year. Earlier in the year, we noted how violent crimes rose more than 70 percent in Dallas year-on-year.
Although many women fear violent crime, particularly in big cities like Dallas and Houston, most sexual assaults are committed by people who know their victims.
Allegations of sexual assault can be particularly stressful because they carry a stigma. In some cases false claims are made by embittered ex-spouses or partners. These kinds of cases can become a he said/she said proceeding. Nevertheless, prosecutors will often press ahead with uncorroborated evidence after an allegation of rape in Texas.
If you have been charged with a sexual assault, it’s vital to hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Contact us to schedule a confidential consultation.
