As many as 225 times a week. That’s how many times women are subjected to rape or attempted rape, according to the Crime Prevention Council.

So the 1,500 women who have already registered ahead of the August launch of the Siréne phone alarm app, which enables women to trigger a loud notification to one another in the event of an assault, is just the tip of the iceberg.

To further its reach, its founders are encouraging all women in Copenhagen to register as a ‘runner’ – and thereby potentially intercept an assault whilst it is going on.

Studies show that nine out of ten sexual assaults quickly de-escalates if the perpetrator is caught in the act.

The team behind Siréne are hopeful that 1 percent of all women in Copenhagen will register.

Founder was assaulted on a train
One of the founders is student Caroline Louise Lilleør, who in 2019 was assaulted on the train from Copenhagen to Aarhus, she tells KøbenhavnLiv.

After several inappropriate and transgressive touches, she kicked the man and left the carriage. When she later told her fellow students, she realised she was not alone. With three others, she has launched wearesirene.dk from a premises in Valby.

“When there is someone who needs help and presses the siren, it sends a message through the app to the nearest runners,” she explained.

“As a Runner, you will get a loud notification on your app that says “Caroline Lilleør needs your help. Can you run?” Then you have to answer yes or no. If you answer yes, you enter the app and then you see the location of the person who needs help, and you see the location of the other runners who have agreed to run.”

In August, they will roll out the first version of the app. However, pre-registering is possible today via wearesirene.dk.