RIOT is a society that aims to hold Warwick University accountable to its negligence in handling sexual violence. In 2019, students expressed their horror and disgust by staging a sit-in due to the exposed ‘rape chats’, which circulated a number of racist and sexist comments, with the accused having reduced bans from 10 years to 12 months.  

Coming into university last year as a fresher, I had hoped that things would have changed and that my experience would be better.  Unfortunately, that was a deluded fantasy. 

My experience has been nothing less of horrific. I have experience two sexual assaults (one of which the nature of the assault could have left me dead) and had a flatmate commit suicide all in the span of my first few months of being here. My cases were both mishandled and dismissed after going through the process due to insufficient evidence, after doing everything right.

I trusted the systems, made sure that all the possible evidence collated was accurate, despite me grieving, to be dismissed by in an email after hours of video meetings. To then undergo an appeal procedure and again told that my complaint, wouldn’t be considered. That the people accused were “affected” by the process. So was I. 

I tried everything to heal the pain of my experience. I went to therapy. I avoided dating. I wrote an article detailing my experience. I fixed as much of my life as I could; but still the pain persists. Still I experience university as a shell of what I wanted. I’ve been called strong too many times. I did not come to university to be strong. I came to university to get a degree. 

I want to put Warwick back on the spotlight. The nature of reporting and supporting students needs to be reviewed and revisited. According to a report from Revolt Sexual Assault in 2018, over half (62%) of students across the UK have experienced sexual violence at university (source: Revolt Sexual Assault). 

When initially reporting, all I asked was for an apology and even that wasn’t arranged. I was told that my assaulter would not be worried about the case. I value my peace and still a year later, I’m not peaceful. Im enraged at how my life was consumed. My experience here will taint me for the rest of my life. 

Rape culture is perpetuated across campus, through the existence of Skool Dayz and the cultish nature of circling. Although these acts at its core are relatively harmless, the way it is perpetuated across campus is harmful towards women and maintain a level of rape culture. My story is not the only one. I’ve heard many stories of sexual harassment and violence. I am not the only one that has suffered and frankly, I’ve reached a boiling point.

I started RIOT out of my own experience of being a survivor of the abuse that has occurred here during my first year. I hope to create some permanent change where survivors are able to hold Warwick accountable. 

I urge you to sign my petition and share in me the anger I have for the suffering myself and others have experienced.