Thousands of British schoolchildren, former pupils and university students alike have been sharing their harrowing experiences of sexual harassment and assault to Everyone's Invited.
Currently, there are over 13,000 testimonies on the campaigning website – which allows people to share their stories anonymously – many of which out 'rape culture' at a number of prominent UK schools. At the time of writing, over 100 institutions had been called out, including top private schools such as Eton College, St Paul's Boys' School, Dulwich College, Westminster School and Highgate School.
University College London graduate Soma Sara founded Everyone's Invited last year after she speaking about her personal experiences with rape culture on Instagram, and connecting with fellow survivors. Within a week, more than 300 people had shared their stories with her.
Here are just 16 of the disturbing testimonies that have shocked the UK, ranging from rape to misogyny to revenge porn.
1. 'He told me he would rape me'
"A boy told me that if I didn't help him with his school work that he would rape me – I was 12 years old and I had just started secondary school. Because of this 'meaningless comment/joke' as it was apparently intended, my whole school experience changed. I began to develop anxieties about walking home alone due to fear of someone watching me. I became anxious that I would be placed in the same classes as him in the future. I was even more scared that a teacher would pair me up with the person in question for group work. I kept this to myself for around 1 week but my parents suspected something had happened. My whole persona had changed as I lived in a constant state of fear whenever I walked to school and when I was at school. I eventually told my parents who were horrified. They contacted my school but very little was done by the school – looking back, I am appalled with how they handled the situation."
2. 'He molested my chest in public'
"I was in maybe year 9 quite insecure and got drunk with my friends for the first time. I was happy having a good time when we decided to travel and this boy decided to travel with us. He molested my chest in public, my legs and was sticking his tongue down my throat. He was completely sober whereas I was not and he knew this as he kept on making repeated jokes. I asked him to stop and he would continue ignoring me saying we were having a good time. Nobody did anything to stop it."
3. 'I was 11'
"My first memory of being sexually harassed was on the tube going home from school. I was 11. A man grabbed my bum as I was stepping off the tube onto the platform, I was too shocked and scared to act. "
4. 'No one helped me'
"Off the top of my head, I can think of 3 occasions in the last year where I have had fully grown men pull over to talk to me whilst I’ve been walking on the pavement in my school uniform. On multiple occasions, I’ve been asked to get in their car. This was on a main road, and after saying I don’t know you, many members of the public simply ignored it, no one helped even though everyone saw."
5. 'I was raped at 16'
"I got raped at a house party at 16, begged him not to, crying, 100+ people were there, that wasn’t enough to stop it. Almost every time I leave the house, I get catcalled, summer or winter, no matter what I’m wearing, even in my school uniform. I have been catcalled wearing a puffer coat and baggy jeans, in broad daylight, since I never go out past sunset out of fear for my own safety. Old men, twice or even triple my age make comments about my appearance and body even on the busiest streets, in front of others. Nowhere feels safe to me as a young woman. This has all been happening since I was 15. I could go on but I’d rather not."
6. 'He regularly got away with groping girls'
"In year 9-10 one of my close mates (not anymore) would be very touchy feely with girls all the time. He had great social skills, everyone loved him and everyone wanted to impress him all the time – he would regularly get away with groping girls, slapping/grabbing their asses while hugging them etc. Everyone was always a bit unsure about it, but for the most part people ignored it just because he was such a likeable person. Always thought I was overthinking it because noone seemed to care, even including the girls that he was targeting."
7. 'I didn't realise the severity of the situation'
"In year 4, I was playing In the playground and a man indecently exposed himself to me. I was confused and horrified so I giggled, not realising the severity of the situation. Looking back at it, I recall the word ‘rimjob’ and ‘sexy’ being mustered at me. I was a jfs student (now moved) and I am glad that this account exists so that I can speak up."
8. 'I didn't think it was rape if we were a couple'
"I had just done a 12-hour shift at work. I got home to an ex-partner's house. He wanted to have sex and I explained I was too tired and wasn't in the mood. He grabbed me and pulled my tights down and began to assault me. I'd said no and tried to get out the way but I was too tired and what would it achieve? He was stronger than me. At the time I thought it was normal for your boyfriend to do that. I didn't think it was rape if we were a couple. After that relationship ended I realised I'd been assaulted multiple times."
9. 'She was under 11 when she first tried exploiting boys'
"I don’t mean to undermine any girls’ story on here because anything that happens to them must be horrible; when I was 13 my gf at the time started sending me nudes and I had no idea what to do back, she started guilt-tripping me and acting sad when I said I didn’t know if I wanted to say anything and eventually just stopped talking to me till I did. she then just used me as a form of pleasure until she eventually found something more fun, and stopped speaking to me. I know she was under 11 when she first tried exploiting boys."
10. 'He secretly recorded us having sex'
"When I was 15, I was talking to a boy from another school, he ended up coming over to mine one day, I clearly didn’t want to have sex but felt pressured to because I had invited him over, while I couldn’t see, he recorded it on his phone and later sent it to his mates. Turns out him and his friends had a game of who can have sex with the most girls and provide visual evidence. I was forced to get over it because he was friends with a few of my close mates (who had also seen the video). At the time I didn’t realise how serious it was, but looking back I think it was more shock and disbelief that somebody could do something like that."
11. 'I told no one'
"In year 9 a boy at Hampton school kept asking me for nudes and at the time I trusted him and liked him. I thought everything was fine until I heard from people that he had an app on his phone to screenshot Snapchat photos without the person knowing. I heard he did this to me and shared the photos with his friends and this completely humiliated me. He then tried to make me send again I said no and told him I knew he had photos but he denied having them on his camera roll. All his friends knew and I was so embarrassed. I told no one. Scary to think someone you trust can do that to you. Years later he admitted to it but laughed it off."
12. 'You're wearing a dress – what did you expect?'
"I was out with friends in a local bar, as we walked out of the bar to go somewhere else a man in his 30s grabbed me and tried to put his hands up my skirt past my knickers. When I turned round and said what do you think you're doing? He said what's your problem? You're wearing a dress what did you expect. I was 18."
13. 'No one reacted'
"I was once on the street in central London and two middle-aged men brushed past very close to me and lifted the skirt of my dress up exposing my underwear to the public. by the time I even realized what had happened they were far down the street laughing raucously. I am not sure if anyone else saw the incident but no one reacted. I understand that this pales in comparison to many other women’s experiences but at the age of 17 it was the first time I had realized how indecent and disrespectful some men can be, especially in public."
14. 'I froze in pain and fear'
"When I was 13 my boyfriend at the time, without saying a word, forcibly penetrated me. I completely froze in fear and pain. For years I dismissed the memory from my mind, blaming myself for not saying no or stopping him."
15. 'I felt powerless to say anything'
"When I was 17, I was taking part in a community theatre production, where in one crowd scene, I was placed next to a man 10 years older than me. In this scene, we had to stand there for about five mins. Without fail he would grope my inner thigh and heavily breathe into my ear. It was awful, but because he was a well known big character, I felt powerless to say anything."
16. 'I was too drunk to stop anything from happening'
"I was blackout drunk at a party and a friend of mine led me upstairs to a bedroom. I was too drunk to stop anything from happening. Another male friend saw me being taken upstairs and thought he should intervene, but didn’t because he was worried the other guy would get annoyed at him for stopping him from pulling. I had to be told about what had happened in the morning and felt horrified. The boy then criticised me to his friends for not having returned the sexual favours."
How have people reacted to Everyone's Invited?
Schools at the centre of the allegations as well as key political figures have expressed dismay at the reports.
Dr Joe Spence, who is the headmaster at private boys' school, Dulwich College, has said that the school is in meetings with alleged victims from the nearby James Allen's Girls' School, and that they are in the process of holding an external investigation.
"We condemn it unreservedly. Whilst I cannot comment on anonymous testimonies, any specific and evidenced allegations are being addressed, and we have involved external authorities to investigate where appropriate," he said.
The Girls' Schools Association (GSA) – which represents over 100 UK girls' private schools – has also issued comment, saying that it will be referring some incidents to the police. GSA Chief Donna Stevens stated that the claims were "deeply troubling" and that they "must not be ignored".
And on Tuesday, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson vowed to take action over the allegations, which he denounced as "shocking and abhorrent".
Taking to Twitter, he wrote: "Any victim of these sickening acts that we've seen reported, should raise their concerns with someone they trust, whether that's a family member or friend, a teacher, social worker, or the police. We will take appropriate action. No school - whether an independent school or state school - should ever be an environment where young people feel unsafe, let alone somewhere that sexual abuse can take place."
In a heartening turn, however, the Metropolitan Police said they have received a number of reports from alleged victims as a result of the testimonies being shared. The schools and institutions referred to on the website are being contacted to offer support to victims.
The Labour Party has ordered an inquiry into the allegations.
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