There is harrasment and low level sexual assault / unwanted advances at todays free parties – it is worse than what it used to be like but still but no worse than what happens in conventional nightclubs.
In 17 years I am not aware of a confirmed serious sexual assault at any unlicensed party. I heard rumours of one incident at a London party in 2002 or so but nothing confirmed.
Also since the early 1990s I have also heard regular rumours of this happening at licensed commercial rave events, but never seen it reported on “confirmed” sources like local news media or Police press release websites. (That’s not to say there are not unreported incidents)
That said, I have read and still read a lot of crime news reports from across London, SE England and Eastern England (mostly to monitor the way raves and drug use is policed) and if there was a major safety risk to girls/women at raves I’m sure the media would have seized on it.
Girls/women are a lot more clued up, if they feel that unlicensed parties no longer present a safe or pleasant environment to them or are no better than going out on the town (where there is at least CCTV, cops and other venue security staff) plus they feel marginalised or treated as “sex objects” they will and do just stop attending (after all they can save on fuel costs plus the risks of hassle with cops)
This leads to raves being dominated by single young men and couples (and then the boyfriends understandably get angry when other blokes try and compete for their partners, and a vicious circle of more sexual tension and violence). Also many of the 20-30 something ladies today just seem content with the “safer” nightlife where people go to monitored places and go back home at normal hours (or many are actually not going out at all and studying or looking after their families if they have them)
