St Gallen bus incident: women demand protection on their journeys

An alleged sexual assault on two female students aboard a route 9 bus in St Gallen has raised questions about safety on public transport. A man is alleged to have masturbated beside the women during the journey. One student discovered semen on her trousers after getting off. The city’s transport operator is now considering additional safeguards, while women are calling for a more visible security presence.

When the man appeared again, one of the students, helped by other passengers, held him until police arrived. The accused, a 39-year-old Swiss man, was issued with a 30-day exclusion order covering the University of St Gallen grounds. He is presumed innocent.

For one of the students, that measure falls short because the incidents did not happen on campus. “What is actually needed is measures on public transport — all the incidents happened there.” Her objection puts the focus on protecting women where they travel, rather than only at their destination.

Security staff under consideration

Verkehrsbetriebe St. Gallen, the city’s public transport operator, known as VBSG, is examining additional measures, including deploying security staff. No decision or timetable has been announced. The review is therefore not a commitment to put security personnel on the affected route.

Buses already have CCTV. Recordings are retained for three days and can help police investigations. That short retention period makes prompt reporting important if footage is to help establish what happened.

Christie Koller, head of communications and corporate development at VBSG, says: “We recommend that passengers report suspicious observations or incidents immediately to the driver or to VBSG by telephone. In cases of sexual assault, the police should also be contacted immediately so that a rapid response is possible.”

The advice applies to witnesses as well as those directly affected. In this case, fellow passengers helped a student hold the alleged perpetrator until police arrived. Their intervention underlines the importance of attentive passengers, but leaves unanswered what additional protection the operator will provide.

When fear shapes the journey home

Women’s responses show that insecurity extends beyond the moment of an incident. It affects whether they take a bus, travel alone at night or find another way home. One woman writes on social media that she has stopped using public transport altogether.

Others want less crowded vehicles. They argue that, in packed buses, inappropriate behaviour is harder for both passengers and cameras to detect. There are also calls for police to patrol more often on foot and board buses and trains. The aim is a visible presence that helps passengers travel without fear.

Women also describe their own protective strategies. Paula wears headphones to discourage people from approaching her. If something happened, she would take out her phone to film it. Having that option gives her a sense of security.

Lilith, 27, has changed how she gets home late at night. “I hardly use public transport at night any more; instead, I order an Uber to take me home.” Meera, also 27, wants men to talk more about the issue. “They often don’t know how much this occupies our minds.” Her wish is clear: “I don’t want to feel unsafe any more — I don’t want to feel this fear any more.”

Reporting to reveal patterns

In city politics, Lydia Wenger, co-leader of the Social Democratic Party group, is calling for the protection of those affected to be considered from the outset. “What matters is that the measures are effective and create safety.” Wenger had advocated a reporting tool for sexual harassment.

Since August, the city of St Gallen has offered an anonymous way to report sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination. Incidents in public spaces can also be recorded. The tool is intended to reveal patterns; it does not replace making a report to the police.

A 2019 survey of more than 4,400 women indicates that harassment on public transport goes beyond this case. At the time, 46 per cent said they had experienced harassment on public transport. That figure describes the experiences of the women surveyed. It does not establish how frequently such incidents occur today on individual St Gallen bus routes.

For passengers, the distinction between the two reporting channels matters: the city’s tool is intended to make patterns visible, while VBSG’s advice on sexual assault is to contact police immediately.

More frequent buses from December

VBSG has announced changes to route 9, which serves the university among other destinations, with the December timetable change. Buses are due to run every 15 minutes until around 8pm. A shuttle between St Gallen railway station and the university is also planned during the morning peak and lecture periods.

A more frequent service can give passengers more travel options. Whether it will also improve their sense of safety remains uncertain. Calls for less crowded buses reflect that concern, but the timetable changes do not settle the separate question of additional security.

It also remains unclear which measures will emerge from the operator’s review. For the women affected, the underlying expectation is straightforward: getting to university and returning home should not mean having to choose between feeling afraid and abandoning public transport.