There comes a time/age when it becomes impossible to educate the already uneducated, especially when it comes to respect in every area, but it appears this is about respect for females. The respect you seem to be pointing too AH, is the uncontrolled urges of the male. The latter again has, and always will be with us I'm afraid, and has been for hundreds of years, you will not change it.
I don't think for one second that you can say the risk is on par with getting wet in the rain. Whenever a murder takes place be it male or female, then that ignites an out cry for more to be done. Whenever a police officer gets killed/ murdered there is a period of out cry.
The fact is, that no one can for see any thing like this happening. May be the statements / advice from the police is badly worded. But what other advice can they give?
For years now, and even I can remember my mother telling me not to be out on my own, always try to be with someone especially at night, so that advice is not new. However you can still be in the wrong place at the wrong time without knowing so.
Not in this case, but when you have drink and drugs involved, by female and males this also increases the chances of rape and murder, so a lot of the time the police have their backs to the wall, and take all the flack.
Most officers are now on their own, when they used to be a two man crew, adding to the problem of containing any sort of law and order. The criminal element know this and take advantage of such, so this sort of crime, and many others can only fester.