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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 353-2023
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 3rd April 2023 as follows:
Thank you for your quick response to my FOI request regarding harassment crimes that occur within Virtual Reality (VR). I note your comments relating to search terms and the lack of reports coming back.
Could I ask that you try the following terms in your searches to substantiate/eliminate what I have had come back from other forces (who have initially come back with similar comments as yourself), but have then come up trumps...
The most common VR platforms are the likes of Metaverse, RecRoom, VR Chat, Bigscreen, NeosVR, Orbus, vTime, Oculus Home, SteamVR Home, Mozilla Hubs and Altspace.
Priority terms = VR, Virtual Reality, online, headset
Accompanying terms = harassment, groping, abuse, sexual assault, verbal harassment, sexual harassment, racial harassment, misogyny, avatar, unwanted attention, unwanted touching, sexual touching, blocking
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Response: Searches within the crime recording system have been carried out using the above keywords and terms, however, I can advise that no information deemed as relevant to your request was located.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible.
Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or email the Freedom of Information Unit quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB