‘Troubling number of sexual assaults happening on nights out in Bristol’

“It happens so frequently, I feel like I should just shrug it off and walk on,” said a victim of sexual assault in Bristol.

This woman is just one of the 88 per cent of people interviewed by police who have been subjected to harassment and worse in the city’s bars, pubs and clubs – yet the majority of incidents go unreported

Officers conducted a survey on a recent Saturday night out in Bristol to get a handle on the scale of the issue and found a “troubling” number of sexual assaults are happening, with many repeat victims.

The force is working with partner agencies to send the message that this type of behaviour is not acceptable and won’t be tolerated.

“I was once grabbed by a man and when I confronted him to say it wasn’t okay, he got aggressive towards me,” said one woman.

“You expect this sort of behaviour now. At times, it leaves you feeling quite demoralised, but it’s not okay and we shouldn’t just accept it because it’s common behaviour.”

With the exception of three people, the victims surveyed by officers didn’t report the incident to either the venue or police, largely because of concern that they wouldn’t be taken seriously or believed.

Superintendent Marie Wright said: “If you’ve been a victim of sexual assault, please tell someone. It doesn’t have to be us, you can talk to bar staff who will support you and take action against the person or people who assaulted you.

“Our message is clear, nobody has the right to touch people without their consent. This is a serious issue and we will believe you.”

Lottie decided to speak out about sexual assaults in Bristol’s bars and clubs

Because it is a crime that goes largely unreported, police were not aware of its prevalence until Lottie, a teenager sick of being subjected to frequent harassment, decided to speak out and raise awareness of the issue.

Police are working with Bristol Women’s Voice and encouraging venues to sign up to Bristol Zero Tolerance campaign to make nights out safer for everyone.

Jamie Morris, manager at OMG, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear the extent of this issue in Bristol, but we want to tackle it head-on and any incidents which occur in our venue will be dealt with by an appropriate measure.”

Staff can then help the person leave the venue discreetly and get home, or to a safe place.

Advice for reporting sexual assault in pubs and clubs:

• Remove yourself from any dangerous or uncomfortable situation as quickly as possible.
• Find a member of staff and tell them about the incident, describing the perpetrator(s) if you can.
• Ensure an incident report is completed.
• Notify the police if you feel comfortable to do so, or ask the venue for support to do this.
• If you have been a victim of sexual assault, you can reach out to organisations such as The Bridge for support.

Report a sexual assault to the police online or by calling 101. If a crime is in progress or in an emergency always call 999. For more advice and support, visit www.thisisnotanexcuse.org.

Read more: ‘Sexual assaults on a night out have become normalised’