Thames Lido sex assaults: Woman calls for apology after attack in 2019

Toshihide Nukui attacked four women at Thames Lido and one at The Therapy Centre in Reading

A woman who was sexually assaulted by a masseur has said she is still waiting for a formal apology from the business where she met her abuser.

Emma - not her real name - was one of five women to be attacked by Thames Lido employee Toshidide Nukui in Reading in 2018 and 2019.

She believes if the lido had taken action after initial complaints were made, she would not have been attacked.

Thames Lido said it acted appropriately when allegations of abuse were made.

It added that it had reviewed its policies and procedures to protect customers.

Emma has spoken exclusively to the BBC about her experience almost four years after feeling betrayed, abused and having her trust shattered.

Four of Nukui's victims were targeted at Thames Lido.

This is where Emma first met Nukui. He suggested she book him for a private appointment at the Therapy Centre in the town.

It was here, several months after meeting him, he sexually assaulted her.

The Therapy Centre in Church Street, Reading, said it did not want to provide any further comment

She has seen him jailed and been paid compensation by the lido - but said she has never had a formal written apology like the other victims.

"The start of the massage was pretty normal and then he changed in the last few minutes, and he touched me inappropriately and then got more aggressive and it was more of a serious assault," Emma said.

"I very much froze until I said stop pretty much after he'd done the worst thing.

"He was kind of muttering and went out. He came back in, and I think he was muttering 'sorry, sorry'

"I was just looking down trying to get my stuff together, and he then said you don't have to pay me. I wasn't even thinking about payment, I was just trying to get out.

"But because he said that I grabbed my money, and I just threw it down and just ran out.

"He then ran out after me, down out of the building and down the road.

"I got in my car, locked the doors, drove for a bit and then stopped and kind of broke down in tears."

Covid delayed Nukui's trial - but he pleaded guilty to a number of charges shortly before it began.

Thames Lido in Reading said the safety of its guests was a priority

He was sentenced to five years in July 2022.

Emma continued: "It's not just the trauma of what happened, then there's about three years of going through a court case.

"And that is so much more traumatic that you can sometimes imagine, there's so many ups and downs to it.

"There's a phone call when you don't expect it.

My husband had to go in to get his DNA taken. All those little things that you just don't know about.

"It's just awful after you've gone through something horrible you know. But getting justice is important."

One of Nukui's first victims said she felt "no-one was listening" when she reported the incident to the lido.

Emma and her legal team believe there were other missed opportunities to catch him.

"I didn't know that nearly a year before I was assaulted... two separate women had complained about being assaulted by him," Emma added.

Solicitor David McClenaghan said failings from the lido allowed Emma's assault to happen

David McClenaghan, Emma's solicitor, said: "Even when people in this case spoke up, the management, the organisation didn't know how to deal with it.

"They didn't suspend the masseuse, they didn't contact the police, they didn't change any of their practices, they allowed it to continue.

"In terms of the women who were assaulted at the Lido they have provided a written apology which outlines their regret what had happened.

"I would ask that the lido does the same for Emma. Because in my view it was their failings that allowed her assault to happen."

'Speak out'

In a statement, Thames Lido said: "We acted appropriately as soon as the allegations came to light and that we co-operated fully with the criminal investigation process at every stage.

"We also undertook a full review of our policies and procedures as a result of this case, to include the processes concerning the employment and vetting of staff before they start work at the lido.

"The safety and welfare of our guests at Thames Lido remain absolute priorities for us.

"We continue to have genuine sympathy for the victims of Mr Nukui's appalling and abusive conduct."

The Therapy Centre said it did not want to provide any further comment.

Emma is glad women will now be protected - but wants other potential victims to make their voices heard.

She said: "He will go into prison for those few years that it was, and hopefully he will learn from that.

"But more importantly he won't be able to come out and practice masseuse.

"I'd say speak out if there's something in you gut. It will affect you; it will affect you and keep on affecting you.

"If you know something has happened to you and you've never spoken about it, then speak out - because these things unfortunately don't go away."

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