Victoria names nine venues to pilot anti-sexual assault measures

Image: Ian Laidlaw / Corner Hotel Facebook

In the latest initiative of Victoria’s Sexual Harassment Taskforce, nine venues across the state have been named to take part in a nine-week trial.

These will include training staff to notice signs when someone is being subjected to inappropriate behaviour, and how to deal with it immediately during and after.

Venues will also be expected to support their staffers who are harassed or violated, and ensure they are not put in positions where they are vulnerable or targeted.

Advice to venues have included registering each complaint, and calling in the police for serious cases.

Past research in Australia have shown that many females who are sexually assaulted in venues do not report them because they think they won’t be believed or are not treated with compassion when they do.

The state government is picking up the tab for the $200,000 pilot.

The nine venues are:

   The Corner Hotel: Richmond

   Howler: Brunswick

   Revolver Upstairs: Prahran

   The Toff in Town: CBD

   The Gasometer: Collingwood

   The Croxton Bandroom: Thornbury

   The Chelsea Heights Hotel: Chelsea Heights

   The Workers Club: Geelong

   Karova Lounge: Ballarat

In the past, members of the taskforce told TMN that venues were eager to do their bit to take on the issue.

Some like Cherry Bar and Old Bar began staff training on their own and set up warning posters around the premises that any unwarranted action would be captured on CCTV and police would be called.

The taskforce was put together in 2016 by then-consumer affairs minister Jane Garrett after lobbying from SLAM, LISTEN and Music Victoria, among others.

It included nightclub operators, musicians, promoters, academics and police.

The idea was to combat the high rate of sexual harassment and  assault that women – both patrons and workers – had to deal with in venues and festivals.

DJ and nightclub prompter Katie Pearson recalled how at 21 she was digitally penetrated by a man in a club.

"It happened so quickly," she said when the taskforce was. formed.

"At that age I didn't think that was rape. I now know it absolutely is rape."

Saskwatch singer Nkechi Anele, speaking this week to the ABC about the taskforce pilot, commented, "I think when you're a performer the crowd to some extent believes by buying a ticket they've bought a part of you

"For me I've had experiences of having really inappropriate things said to me, to being picked up, physically picked up, to being asked if I can kiss somebody and I've said no, and they kiss me anyway."

The pilot also includes an evaluation process by an independent expert to identify which aspects work.

The state government has indicated that it wants to roll the scheme out state-wide.