Safety Net charity aiming to make nights out safer

The Safety Night-time Economy Team, known as Safety Net, gave a presentation setting out some of its main aims to staff and stakeholders in the night-time economy.

The charity is supported by Home Affairs, as well as the police, Victim Support and the Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

Chairwoman Poppy Murray said the launch event was an ideal opportunity for those attending to find out more about Safety Net’s work.

‘We’re looking to partner up with night-time venues in order to ensure safety for everyone on a night out in Guernsey,’ she said.

She said that the charity’s three main aims were to educate the public on the legalities of sexual assault, harassment and drink spiking, to deter perpetrators, and to protect and support victims.

‘One of the most important things to remember is that it is never the fault of the victim or the venue when an offence occurs, it can happen to anyone, anywhere,’ she said.

‘We know that some venues already have measures in place to try to protect their customers from these offences, however we are seeking to put all venues on a level playing field by introducing best practice guidelines across industry.

‘This will ensure that there is consistency for the public when it comes to their safety, no matter where they are.’

Miss Murray was inspired to set up the charity following the success of the Girls Night In campaign in 2021, which saw women stage a boycott of nightclubs and pubs in response to the murder of Sarah Everard, as well as highlight the problems they can experience on a night out.

‘In 2022, there were 174 allegations of sexual assault reported to Guernsey Police, but a 2022 police night-time economy survey showed that only 15% of incidents were reported, so the real number of incidents can be estimated to be 1,160 per year, or 22 per week,’ she said.

‘The fear is real, so we want to reduce it as much as we can through building partnerships with the venues.’

PingQuay director Simon Allum, who sits on the charity’s board of trustees, said that the launch was an opportunity for venues to work together in reducing the number of offences committed on nights out.

‘Each venue will have had a nasty experience of dealing with something that has happened. It’s about putting business rivalries aside and helping one another in how we deal with incidents, as well as making sure we take complaints seriously.’

Fellow board member Vlad Avram, managing director of the Liberation Group, said that the charity would provide advice to venues on how to approach situations where an incident may have taken place.

‘Some 94% of those making complaints are telling the truth, so if someone comes to the bar with a complaint, we need to make sure that we have the procedures in place to help them.’