British police investigate after thousands of student testimonies of sexual assault

London police announced on Saturday that they were investigating after the massive publication of testimonies of abuse, harassment and sexual assault on a website denouncing a "culture of rape" in British schools, including some prestigious private schools in London.

The “Everyone's Invited” website allows young Britons to anonymously share the assaults they have suffered, mainly during their schooling.

Launched in June 2020 by a 22-year-old student, the site now lists more than 5,800 testimonials involving many institutions, including some prestigious private schools, such as Eton college.

Friday evening, the London police announced in a statement to have "examined the contents" of the site to "encourage" any potential victim to lodge a complaint and to have "consequently received a certain number of complaints concerning specific infringements".

The owner of the site contacted

“We welcome any initiative that encourages victims of a sexual offense to speak out and seek support,” said Rape and Sexual Offense Commissioner Mel Laremore, and “we take accusations of sexual offenses very seriously. 'sexual assault'.

"The number of testimonies published on this site is deeply worrying," she said, adding that most of the reported facts, "past or present", had taken place in "schools in London and across the country" .

Police said they contacted the identified schools to offer victims of sexual assault "specialized support."

She also contacted the owner of the site, in order to insert a link allowing contributors to contact the police directly.

Hands slipped under skirts, young girls drugged at parties, massive sharing of nude photos: the published testimonies retrace rapes, sexual assaults and “revenge porn” stories that happened to very young adolescents, often girls.

Morning essentials newsletter

A tour of the news to start the day

Subscribe to the newsletterAll newsletters

The pressure has mounted this week on schools, which are criticized for their passivity in the face of the climate reigning between their walls.

Mentioned several times on "Everyone's Invited", Highgate School, a private school in North London, announced in a statement Friday launching an independent investigation.

“Deeply shocked and horrified by these revelations”, the school promised that the voices of the victims would be “heard”.