Lily Revéreault, a 19-year-old student at the University of Birmingham, has opened up about the numerous unsettling incidents of harassment she has encountered since moving to the city in September last year. Originally from Brighton, Lily came to Birmingham with hopes for a positive first year at university but was quickly confronted with behaviour that left her feeling fearful and on edge.
Lily described being subjected to a variety of disturbing incidents, ranging from inappropriate sexual comments shouted at her on the streets, to being followed, and even being masturbated at while on a city centre bus. She admitted she was shocked at how commonplace harassment appeared to be in Birmingham compared to her hometown.
“Even in the first few weeks, I noticed so many little things that I never really experienced back in Brighton,” she said. “It does make me feel scared. I find myself constantly alert, even when I am just doing everyday tasks like going food shopping, worrying that someone might try to harass me.”
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The student reported that she has endured “countless” uncomfortable moments, from being leered at in a manner that felt disturbing, to persistent unwanted advances after politely declining initial attempts at conversation. “Some people try to chat you up, which is fine, but if you say no, they keep pushing, asking why or where you’re from, even after you have made your feelings clear,” she explained.
One particularly worrying episode involved a group of men in parked cars near her university campus. As she passed by with two friends, a man in the driver’s seat stopped her under the pretext of asking a question, stating he “wasn’t going to be weird”. He then proceeded to make a disturbing sexual innuendo, causing confusion and discomfort among Lily and her friends. The men laughed and one called out to her, asking for her phone number as she tried to walk away.
In a separate incident just three months ago, Lily recounted being addressed by a man during the daytime. After a brief compliment, the man made a lewd comment about her appearance as he walked past her and her friend. Shocked, Lily found herself unable to respond immediately, with her friend stepping in to confront the man. Lily reflected on the encounter, questioning the man’s justification that he had a wife, and feeling the comment was inappropriate regardless.
Lily has chosen to share her experiences publicly in the hope of raising awareness and encouraging change regarding the prevalence of harassment faced by students and women in Birmingham.
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