‘I was sexually assaulted by a staff member in Atik toilets’ alleges Edi Anon submission
The submission also claims police told the victim they had consented to the alleged assault after reporting it
Sophie ButcherTW: rape, sexual assault, abuse of power
A submission sent to Instagram account @Edi_Anonymous has claimed that an Atik staff member “sexually assaulted” a clubber.
It is alleged the incident took place roughly three years ago after the employee pushed the victim onto their knees and forced them to perform oral sex in the Atik toilets.
The incident was then reported to the police but officers allegedly said the victim had consented because they weren’t “passed out or too drunk to remember”.
Edi Anon told The Edinburgh Tab they “appreciate the courage it took for this survivor to share their story”, before adding: “The nature of this incident as well as the outcome from reporting it emphasises why so many survivors choose not to report a case of sexual violence”.
The post reads: “I was sexually assaulted by a [staff member] at Atik. I was nearly blackout drunk and had a panic attack in the queue for cloakroom and was taken to a back room by [him]. He told me he was taking me up to the bathroom to splash water on my face so after I peed and splashed my face with water, I walked to the door – there are two doors with a small space between them walking out of the doors where there is presumably no CCTV – where he was standing, blocking the door with one arm.
“He pushed me by the shoulder onto my knees and unzipped his trousers, and put his penis into my mouth. Once another [Atik employee] kicked the door saying time to get out he pulled me back up and we went downstairs. I had no jacket and was obviously nearly blackout drunk but the other [staff member] pushed me outside into the cold (it was December I think?).”
The submission then alleges they went to the police but were dismissed after being told they had consented.
“I went to the police the next day, they drove me far from the station for a statement and told me I wasn’t “passed out or too drunk to remember” so I still consented and that I “wouldn’t want it taken to court” so they took me back home.”
It ends by saying: “I never want anyone to go through what I did – I still get flashbacks and panic attacks even though it was three years ago. I have never been back to Atik and I’m still very wary [in any club] because who knows if they will abuse their power too? Giving [clubs] more power will not be a good thing.”
This submission follows controversy during the Girls Night In campaign in October over whether increased club security was an effective way to curb drink spiking – including spiking by injection.
A petition asking the UK government to make it a legal requirement for nightclubs to thoroughly search guests on entry received nearly 174,000 signatures and was debated by MPs but no action was taken.
However, some – including a handful of local Girls Night In accounts – argued measures like this would make clubbers feel even less safe and that this was especially true for survivors of sexual violence as well as People of Colour and LGBTQ+ individuals.
In relation to this alleged sexual assault submitted anonymously to their account, Edi Anon told The Edinburgh Tab: “As with all of the submissions to our account, we are deeply saddened by this incident and appreciate the courage it took for this survivor to share their story.
“The nature of the incident as well as the outcome from reporting it is extremely disheartening and emphasises why so many survivors choose not to report a case of sexual violence.
“We hope that by providing a platform for this story, it has aided in the survivor’s healing process and also highlighted to our followers the lasting impact of such a traumatic experience.”
Atik did not respond to our requests for comment. Police Scotland declined to comment to student media.
Resources
University of Edinburgh states that the Student’s Association Advice Place is the best provider of frontline support if you have experienced sexual violence, harassment or assault.
EUSA, alongside Edinburgh Napier University, Heriot Watt University, Queen Margaret University and Edinburgh College, have a dedicated Rape Crisis care worker. Contact [email protected] for dedicated support.
You can also speak to:
Rape Crisis Scotland on 0808 801 0302
Galop on 0800 999 5428 (an LGBTQ+ helpline for those who have experienced harassment)
Male Survivors Partnership on 0808 800 5005 (they provide help and information for male victims and survivors of sexual abuse, rape and sexual exploitation)
Survivors UK on 0203 322 1860 or [email protected] (a chat service for men who have experienced sexual abuse)
Recommended related articles by this writer
• Yes, spiking is a problem, but giving more power to bouncers is not the answer
• We asked Edinburgh clubs what their spiking policies and procedures are
• Edinburgh students are using Edi_Anonymous to report stories of being ‘spiked by injection’