Tracy Brabin has revealed her determination to tackle violence against women after her own sexual assault horror.
![Tracy Brabin](/image-library/partners/bang/land/1000/t/tracy-brabin-aW1hZ2VzMS8yMDE4LzA3LzI3LzAwMTU1NzEwMDE1MzI2ODk.jpg)
Tracy Brabin
The former 'Coronation Street' actress - who is West Yorkshire's first Metro Mayor after appearing on the small screen in the likes of 'EastEnders', 'Casualty', 'The Bill' and more - has pledged to do everything she can after her own experience at Loughborough University when she was 21.
She said: "Tackling violence against women and girls. As the first-ever woman Metro Mayor in the country, I've made this a priority.
"I was sexually assault when I was at university. A stranger tried to rape me on the street.
"They caught him and he went to prison and he served his time."
Tracy, now 60, opened up about her the sexual assault five years ago in the House of Commons after she was elected as an MP.
The politician - who memorised her attacker's number plate, which led to his arrest - said at the time: "As he shoved me to the ground trying to rape me, I fought back, but I was battered.
"It was the worst thing I could ever imagine happening to me."
Now, she has explained how the horrific incident indirectly led to her becoming mayor is it become a transformative experience.
She added: "It motivated me to join the women's movement, it made me a feminist, so there was also a positive outcome."
As part of her pledge, Tracy appointed Alison Lowe - who is a survivor of domestic violence and child abuse - as her Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, and rape survivors will be backed by 25 new advisers to help them with the prosecution process.
And the mayor continued: "We have pledged to increase the number of officers and staff by 750, take a victim-centred approach to crime and to put women and girls at the centre."