By Maddy Russell, Second Year, Politics and International Relations
Students have been warned to take care when returning home from nights out, following an incident in which a 22-year-old woman was attacked on the junction of Whiteladies Road, Queens Road and Queens Avenue.
Avon and Somerset Police have reported that the event took place at around 4:45 am on Sunday 14th October. The women is said to have been grabbed by a man who attempted to drag her from the road, whilst she was walking home from a night out. It is believed she was able to fend off her attacker and contacted the police.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the University said: “We encourage all of our students to follow police advice and be mindful of their personal safety – plan how you are getting home and look after your friends. Any students with concerns can always talk to the University Security Services.”
Bristol has a “purple flag’ status and is considered to be a safe place to go for a night out. In a statement the University Students Union said: “We know our students are vulnerable to attack, in particular women and LGBT + students, and have recently implemented a number of policies to make our students safer. We have pushed the University to launch their Report & Support tool, which helps to support victims and also measure the level of incidents taking place. We also launched our Safe Taxi scheme at the beginning of the academic year, which allows students to get home safely even if they do not have cash in hand.”
We've issued an alert & appeal for witnesses after a woman was grabbed by a man in Clifton #Bristolo on her way home at about 4.45am on Sun 14 Oct https://t.co/vS9E7RTG2d She escaped from the man. Info to 101 ref 5218229921. Personal safety info: https://t.co/WmUld1eb2N pic.twitter.com/SzavEdAoVx
— Avon&Somerset Police (@ASPolice) October 19, 2018
Students who are concerned about their personal safety while walking are advised to:
• trust their instincts
• let someone know where they are
• walk confidently
• cross the road whilst checking behind them and if some crosses the road after them to keep walking
• head for busy well-lit areas
• call 999 in an emergency
The victim described her attacker as a white male, about 5ft 7 inches tall, with a medium build and slightly bald. He was wearing a black coat. The police have appealed for witnesses who may have seen a man matching this description loitering in the area of the Triangle.
Avon and Summerset Police have asked for anyone who may have any information on the attack to contact them, quoting the reference: 5218229921.
Featured Image: Epigram / Cameron Scheijde
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