Police investigate after thousands of testimonies of sexual assault in schools

The authorities were alerted through the “Everyone’s Invited” site. London police announced on Saturday that they were investigating after the massive publication of testimonies of abuse, harassment and sexual assault on the platform in question, which allows young Britons to anonymously share what they have suffered, mainly during their schooling.

The site, launched in June 2020 by a 22-year-old student, notably denounces a “culture of rape” in British schools. It now lists more than 5,800 testimonies involving many institutions, including some prestigious private schools, such as Eton college.

Through the whole Country

Friday evening, the London police announced in a statement to have “examined the contents” of the site to “encourage” any potential victim to lodge a complaint and to have “consequently received a certain number of complaints concerning specific infringements”. “We welcome any initiative that encourages victims of a sexual offense to speak out and seek support,” said Rape and Sexual Offense Commissioner Mel Laremore, and “we take accusations of sexual offenses very seriously. ‘sexual assault’.

“The number of testimonies published on this site is deeply worrying,” she said, adding that most of the reported facts, “past or present”, had taken place in “schools in London and across the country” .

Girls on the front line

Police said they contacted the identified schools to offer victims of sexual assault “specialized support.” She also contacted the owner of the site, in order to insert a link allowing contributors to contact the police directly. Hands slipped under skirts, young girls drugged at parties, massive sharing of nude photos… The testimonies retrace rapes, sexual assaults and “revenge porn” stories that happened to very young adolescents, often girls.

Mentioned several times on “Everyone’s Invited”, Highgate School, a private school in North London, announced in a statement Friday launching an independent investigation. “Deeply shocked and horrified by these revelations”, the school promised that the voices of the victims would be “heard”.