Spot on.
Also up North, at least, some of his reign of terror coincided with Sutcliffe's - it was literally the most hostile environment for young women, imaginable. I dunno how typical we were where I grew up - 14 miles out of Leeds but at least one of the non-canonical survivor victims was attacked very, very close to home, for me - but I was a teen and like many local girls, carried a knife, at one point. All my friends did. Maybe that explains why he started killing students as they'd be more vulnerable even than we were? A random thought.
Anyone remember that disgusting slug Judge Pickles, who blamed a rape victim for wearing a short skirt? If even the judiciary were on the record with attitudes like that (and those comments may have come after Sutcliffe's arrest but were essentially a commonly held view for decades before), what chance did any of us stand?
Also, female (and male) victims and children simply weren't believed by authority. It was in the 70s, my teachers called out the social workers after being alarmed by my stepmother's cruelty and neglect and my account of being hungry etc. Social worker wrote her a polite letter to forewarn her they were coming so the house was tidied up, cakes baking in the oven, real coffee on when SW walked through door. They didn't even speak to me and I was castigated as lying because my account I'd given my teachers, of a house in filth and chaos, no food, verbal abuse, absolute neglect - was contradicted by the "Hail fellow well met" behaviour and the shiny, pristine house. Children were routinely disbelieved and abusers feted and lauded. I wasn't even allowed to be present. And my stepmother's cruelty stepped up exponentially after that as she was so livid she was nearly caught out. My teachers continued to support me and believe me - but those people who could have effected change and took an abusive adult to court - refused to act.
I have never forgotten how abandoned and hopeless it felt. The 70s were shit for kids who were in less than ideal situations.
ETA: Not posting that for sympathy just as a bit of an illustration of a firsthand experience. I think if it had been a sexual predator not just a psychopath, I'd have met with precisely the same reaction from social workers (as my kids did years later when I was a teacher).