How To Stay Safe After a Night Out

The question of how to stay safe after a night out has become increasingly relevant after multiple students have gone missing throughout the UK in the last few months

In a country of possibly the most profound drinking culture, it doesn’t come as a surprise that most students have felt uncomfortable or in danger at one point or another while partying. The question of how to stay safe after a night out has become increasingly relevant after multiple students have gone missing throughout the UK in the last few months.

LIBBY SQUIRE

The first of these cases was 21-year-old, Libby Squire, who attended the University of Hull. She was reported missing after January 31stwhen she was last seen taking a cab home from Welly nightclub. She had gotten out of the taxi and was seen on CCTV footage sitting on a park bench by her house crying.

Pawel Relowicz, a 24-year-old butcher who lived nearby said he noticed her crying and offered her a ride back to her house. He has since been under investigation by the police about her disappearance and is set to go on trial in June.

Six weeks after Libby’s disappearance, her body was found in Humber Estuary. Results from the autopsy have yet to be revealed from the public, but police say they are treating the case as a homicide investigation.

A number of people stated they had seen Libby leaving the club barely able to walk, so that leads to the big question - could this have been prevented?

DANIEL WILLIAMS

Daniel Williams, a 19-year-old student from the University of Reading was the second to go missing on January 31stafter a night out at a university bar. He was reported missing by flat mates in his student accommodation the next morning when they realised he never returned.

Daniel’s body was found 5 days later in Whiteknights Lake nearby to the University of Reading.

No conclusion has been made on what exactly happened to Daniel, but police have called the circumstances unusual. Friends of his have also said that it’s out of character for Daniel not to let them know his whereabouts.

People saw Daniel leave by himself after a few drinks the night that he went missing. Could his fate have been different if someone walked home with him?

MY STORY

A week after I had heard about these stories, in the beginning of February, I ended up having a nightmare of a night myself. I had a few drinks at a gig and started on my way home at about 12am after saying goodbye to my friends.

It was a Thursday night which meant all the tube stations were closed in London, so I ended up getting on a bus. I eventually had to transfer buses which meant about a ten-minute walk in the snow while wearing heels to get to the next bus stop.

During this walk I ended up falling down a flight of stairs covered in sleet which rendered me unconscious. It was during that time I ended up getting robbed. My credit cards, travel card, and cash were all taken out of my purse.

After waking up and realizing everything was gone, no bus driver would let me on their bus without a travel card or credit card. This is where the nightmare began. I started a four-hour walking journey home in the snow. My phone was almost dead so there was no way I could even call for help.

After about two hours of sobbing through my miserable adventure home, a security guard for a hotel ran outside and became my saving grace. He pulled his travel card out of his bag, which ended up having 20 pounds on it, and told me to get home safely.

At that point I was sure I was safe. All I had to do was get on a bus and I’d be home. Boy was I wrong.

I was sitting on the back of an empty bus, ten minutes from home, when a man in his late 40’s got on and sat in the seat right next to me, sliding his arm around my back. You’d think mascara running down my face and hair completely frozen by ice would deter a man, but apparently not.

He started touching my legs and neck incessantly after I would again and again tell him to “**** off”. He then told me he would drag me off the bus and take me to his house, and that’s when I started to really feel scared.

The more I pushed away, the more he fed off it. After about 5 minutes of argument he grabbed my face and started to lick it. Yep. A strange man in his late 40’s licking a 19-year-old's cheeks, lips, nose, etc. If reading that made you feel weird then it should.

I used all my might to push him off while screaming at him and he just walked off the bus nonchalant.

I got home in complete shock of what had just happened. I kept telling myself it wasn’t a big deal, people have it much worse. What I didn’t realize is that if I had to take five showers just to feel clean again, then it was a big deal.

Two days later I made the decision to file a police report, something I had never done before. I thought of all the people that have gone missing or have been raped because of weirdos like him and I knew I had to make a move. I had the CCTV footage from the bus on my side, and honestly making the report made me feel so relieved. So many victims never get that evidence.

Since then I’ve stayed much more vigilant after nights out, for my sake and especially for my friends. Men and women should never have to feel embarrassed or intimidated by filing a sexual harassment report.

5 TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE ON A NIGHT OUT

1. Stay with a buddy or group. In the case of Libby, Daniel, and even myself, going home with a buddy can prevent yourself from danger in almost all circumstances. If someone has had too much to drink it’s good to have another person to keep an eye on them.

2. On the bus? Stay close to the driver. Public transport is a given for a lot of university students struggling with money. If you’re coming back from a night out and you’re on the bus, be sure to sit close to the driver and don’t be afraid to report sketchy characters.

3. Never leave your drink unattended! For the most part this is a given, people have learned to cover their drinks with napkins just to be safe. But don’t hesitate to ask bar tenders if you’re going to the toilets or out tosmoke, they don’t mind.

4. Stick to busy streets and well-lit areas. It’s unlikely a predator will bother you if you have a lot of witnesses around. If you do end up walking home by yourself remember to try to stay around other people and don’t wander into any dark alleyways.

5. Keep your belongings safe. When heading for a night out I would recommend sticking to using card, and if you do bring cash, don’t bring a lot. Also be cautious of where you’re keeping your bag, always try to keep it in front of you.

INVENTIONS THAT PREVENT DATE RAPE

1. Nail polish that detects spiked drinks. In 2015 students from North Carolina State University started the company “Undercover Colors” which can detect date rape drugs in a drink. If you dip your purple painted nails into the drink and it changes color, you’ll know it has been tampered with.

2. Straws against date rape drugs. The current version of the straw was developed by three high school students and can detect traces of Rohypnol, ketamine, and GHB. The straws will turn from clear to navy blue if they come in contact with any of these substances.

3. Tape on bra can detect sexual violence. In 2017 an MIT researcher, Manisha Mohan created a piece of tape that connects to the bra and can sense violent removal. If the user doesn’t respond with consent in a set amount of time, five pre-alerted contacts will be told she is in danger.

4. Foul smelling bracelet that deters attackers. The Invi Bracelet was created by a Dutch company to look like a FitBit. When a person is at risk of being attacked, open the bracelet to exude a foul smell and deter your aggressor. The opening of the wristband will also alert others.

Although these new inventions are helping millions, I think we can all agree that they shouldn’t be necessary. People shouldn’t have to live in fear of getting raped, drugged or killed for going on a fun night out with their friends.

Fixing the problem is less about telling victims to stay safe, and more about standing up to their attackers. I read a sign at a protest the other day that said, “Why does every woman know another woman that was raped but no man knows a rapist?”

I never want to be the woman that says, “all men are bad”, because they’re not, not even close. But I do think that men should have the responsibility of standing up to their peers when they see them do something disrespectful or wrong.

The number of missing students in this country and the amount of date rape that happens every day is astronomical, and there’s not a one answer to stop it all. The best advice I can give to someone is to always make sure your friends are home safe, and to call people out if you see suspicious activity.

- Haley Lindbak