Bars ignore abuse from sports stars, campaigner says
- Published
Fiji international rugby player Api Ratuniyarawa was jailed for assaulting three women in a Cardiff nightclub
Bars and clubs ignore harassment and sexual assaults by sportsmen because of status, a women's safety advocate says.
Jess Davies' comments come after rugby player Api Ratuniyarawa was allowed to return to a bar where he attacked three women.
Api Ratuniyarawa, 37, was jailed last week for the attacks in the VIP section at Revolution in Cardiff.
Revolution said it regretted the player was allowed back in the day after one of his victims complained to bouncers.
The attacks happened when Fiji player Ratuniyarawa was in Cardiff in the week leading up to a match between invitational side the Barbarians and Wales in November last year.
He was thrown out of the bar on his second night of partying at Revolution following the complaint, but was allowed to return the next night to offend again.
Ms Davies, ambassador for the Women's Safety Charter, said: "It's shocking this could happen to three different women on three separate nights, and at the same club.
"But then again, it's not surprising and certainly nothing new."
Jess Davies said stricter protocols were needed
The 30-year-old from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, who is also a social media influencer and presenter, said she would get "harassed on various occasions" by customers during her time working at Revolution about 10 years ago, but was helped by her colleagues.
"One time I remember collecting glasses and multiple guys trying to grope me on the dancefloor - bar staff had to step in and usher me to the safety of a back room," she said.
She said that many bars and clubs have long "turned a blind eye to what goes on depending on the status of the guest involved".
"Especially when it comes to rugby players, Cardiff being such a sporting city," Ms Davies added.
"Players are revered and hold a lot of cachet, so naturally club owners want them drinking on their premises."
Ratuniyarawa's attacks happened at the Revolution bar in Cardiff city centre
She said this led to "a sense of entitlement" where players thought "they can get away with whatever they want".
Ms Davies called for stricter protocols, adding: "A club's priority should be to keep their female customers safe, regardless of what powerful men might be in there.
"He should have been barred the first time this happened and not let back in a second and third - and if it was because the door staff were too intimidated to tell him 'no' then someone really needs to get better door staff."
Ratuniyarawa committed the assaults, which were all caught on CCTV, in the days running up to a match he was due to play at the Principality Stadium on 3 November last year.
Cardiff Crown Court heard that in the early hours of Tuesday 31 October, the father-of-four "cornered [and] put his hands down the trousers" of his first victim, while on 2 November he touched another woman's breast and bottom.
He then came back the following evening to attack a third woman - an encounter which left her bleeding.
Cardiff Crown Court heard the player recognised the 'shame that he has brought to himself and his family'
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) which represents more than 1,200 members including nightclubs, bars, casinos and music venues, said despite attempts to increase safety for women there was still much room for improvement.
"We've worked very hard safeguarding women these last few years, the profile of female safety at night having become more and more prominent," he said.
"But we are still fallible and when something goes wrong it needs to be reassessed and attempts made to stop it from happening again.
"As it happened during what's generally a very busy time for the entertainment industry it could be that a change of door staff from night to night means something got missed.
"But from the industry's perspective it's crucial there's always a chain of communication in place during periods of transition."
A spokesperson for Revolution said: "The safety and wellbeing of our guests is extremely important to us, and we have a range of measures in place to identify and evict those who pose a risk to others.
"Although the offender was evicted we regret that he was allowed to return to the venue on a separate occasion and we are reviewing our processes to prevent this from happening again.
"Our venue and security team have supported the police throughout their investigation and our thoughts remain with the victims of these crimes."
- Published4 December 2023
- Published9 January
