\n<\/p>\n
Challenged on the response to Laura at the carnival, the Met Police said: “We are sorry the victim felt unsupported in this case and don’t underestimate the impact this incident had on her. <\/p>\n
“A crime report was created the following day with a wide range of enquiries carried out. Levy was identified, arrested and later convicted.”<\/p>\n
After later being contacted by officers, Laura gave a statement 15 days after the attack, and attended an ID parade the next year. <\/p>\n
It took three years for Levy to go to court. In 2021 he was convicted of sexually assaulting her, as well as another woman he had assaulted a month before Laura.<\/p>\n
He was jailed for three years, but released on licence despite sexually assaulting a prison officer.<\/p>\n
Laura found out Simon Levy was going to be on trial for two murders when she Googled his name earlier this year.<\/p>\n
“My heart dropped in my stomach when I read that”, she says.<\/p>\n
Laura says she was also shocked to discover out that Levy had already been investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting another woman in 2017. <\/p>\n
He was not charged at the time, something now viewed as a mistake by the CPS and the Met.<\/p>\n
“Had they charged him in 2017, I may not have even ever had to go to court. I may never have been assaulted, ever”.<\/p>\n
She says there should be a societal change in the approach to male violence against women and girls.<\/p>\n
“They need to look at everything, all of it, because they could have prevented so many women from being hurt. <\/p>\n
“They could have prevented two women from losing their lives.”<\/p>\n
She adds: “I hope that other victims in the future will be believed, will be dealt with differently, will be listened to straightaway, and I just hope that there’s change”.<\/p>\n
BBC Action Line: If you have been affected by issues in this story, find out what support is available <\/i>here.<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n Do you have information about this story? Contact us on email daniel.desimone@bbc.co.uk or via the Signal messaging app @investigation.56<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n