When you’re with a group of people, you tend to sleep out in the open. But when I was on my own, rather than sleep out on the street, I’d always find a quiet little back alley or go in the middle of big bushes and hide away. 

They do the yearly rough sleeper headcount but they tend to miss the women that are on their own, for that reason. We’re not out in the open. When you see 2 or 3 big burly blokes coming to you, you hide even more. It’s as simple as that. 

It’s the other people sleeping rough you’ve got to be careful of. You know, once the guys have got something into them, they can try and take advantage as well. I’ve got a scar there where one of the lads wouldn’t take no for an answer. He realised no was no when he ended up with a broken arm so, you know, fair trade. And none of the others ever tried anything after that.” 

So yeah, women are more vulnerable, more exposed in some ways, but more hidden as well.