By Charlotte Wesbter-
A female estate agent who was assaulted by a client on a property viewing has spoken of her outrage after the case was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
“For two hours he tortured me, his hands were everywhere. I thought rape was inevitable, I wondered whether I’d get out alive. We were in an empty property on a quiet cul-de-sac and he’d completely overpowered me,” she said, speaking anonymously to The Times.
The case was dropped by the CPS two days before coming to court. “I am furious, he had the money to hire a big shot lawyer. I feel let down,” she told the newspaper.
“It has been absolutely horrendous. It had a massive effect on my whole life: my relationship of 15 years broke down and I ended up on antidepressants and having panic attacks every time I went on a valuation.”
She said that her colleagues now carry rape alarms, check in before and after viewings, and follow strict protocols about leaving doors open in properties and never getting into cars with clients.
Suzy Lamplugh Trust imageCharlotte Dale is another agent campaigning to raise awareness about ensuring the safety of female agents. Her mother Claire Lewis was working in the same area of London at the time Suzie Lamplugh (pictured) disappeared, sparking a nationwide manhunt.
The response to an article in The Negotiator about her campaign astonished Charlotte – who is now working at the same agency as her mother did 30 years ago.
“I was prepared for not much of a response with the survey but have already had over 50, with women saying they feel unsafe and giving stories that gave me tingles,” she said.
“It is so upsetting but I am really glad that it is something that can be addressed and maybe something can be done to make female estate agents feel safer.”
A survey of 150 agents across the UK by Putney estate agent Allan Fuller showed that just 22% of estate agents and letting agents, both male and female, feel safe when on viewings, while 82% say estate agent safety isn’t taken seriously enough.
One respondent said: “I recently valued a property and met with a man accused of domestic violence and I have never felt so uncomfortable in my life. He proceeded to show me an over-stair cupboard and said that there was ‘enough space for three dead bodies’. I left quickly after that.”
There is now a nationwide survey to ask estate agents how safe they feel carrying out viewings as a letting or sales estate agent. It is hoped this will give an indication of whether more needs to be done to protect estate agents at work.