Georgia, aged 23
2017
After a night out with friends in Poulton, we decided to call it a night and grab some food and get a taxi together home. I went ahead of my friends to get in the queue at the takeaway, as I stepped into the doorway of the takeaway, a man, aged 18-25, with no warning shoved his head in my chest and grabbed me, it probably lasted all of three seconds, but it felt like so much longer in my head. He then stepped away laughing with his friends and walked past me as I was stood there in shock.
Nobody asked if I was okay, despite being around lots of people, it wasn’t until my friends arrived and saw the look on my face and asked what had happened. I brushed it off a little, waited for friends to get food, I had lost my appetite and then we got a taxi home. I didn’t go back to Poulton for at least 6 months following this, I was too scared to. Unfortunately, I’d grown used to having my bum grabbed on nights out since 18 years old, but that was so normalised it didn’t feel like assault, this experience did feel like assault, it hurt, physically and emotionally. When I did return to going on nights out, my attitude changed, I understood any unwanted touching is unacceptable.