A 15-year-old girl who entered a Liverpool city centre bar unchallenged through an unsecured side door was allegedly raped in the toilets by a 17-year-old boy, leading to the revocation of The Collective's premises licence. The incident, which occurred earlier this year, involved the teenager being approached by an unknown male while alone in the city centre. They purchased a bottle of vodka from a convenience store before entering the venue on Seel Street via a side door left open and unchecked by staff.
Second sexual assault report in months
This was the second report of alleged sexual assault at the venue within a few months. In a separate incident, a woman was allegedly pulled to the ground and raped in the first-floor toilets by a lone male suspect. She informed her friends, who relayed the information to bar staff, but staff reportedly said they did not want to pry and advised contacting the police. The woman's former partner later contacted the authorities. A toilet attendant had directed the woman into the toilet where the suspect was waiting. The suspect was arrested but no further action was taken, according to the Liverpool Echo. Management at The Collective failed to contact Merseyside Police despite the severity of the allegation.
Details of the teenage girl's ordeal
During the licensing hearing at Liverpool Town Hall on July 14, it was revealed that the 15-year-old girl had been approached by the 17-year-old male, who attempted to buy cocaine. They were not known to each other. Upon entering The Collective through the unsecured side door, they bypassed identification checks. The boy launched an unprovoked assault on another male inside, which went unwitnessed by door staff. The girl later entered the toilets and was shocked when the boy followed her into the cubicle, removed his clothes, and subjected her to a sexual assault. CCTV footage showed the boy leaving the toilets shirtless, followed by door staff. The alleged victim was found trying to enter another venue, where she broke down and reported being raped. An ambulance took her to Alder Hey Hospital; her mother had reported her missing earlier that night.
Failures by staff and management
Sergeant Craig Carmichael of Merseyside Police told the committee that door staff were seen just feet away from the teenage girl at one point but failed to intervene. One dismissed staff member was said to have taken off his coat and sat down before conducting any checks. Karl Bruder, licensing agent for director Fred Hobbs of Collective Bars Ltd, acknowledged the teenagers bypassed entry checks. Hobbs admitted he had "taken my eye off the ball" and described the second allegation as "worse than the first one," calling it a failure of the business. He stated that after learning of the events, about 90% of the venue's cameras were upgraded, and he had lost trust in the previous designated premises supervisor, Scott Burgess. The toilet attendant on duty during the first alleged assault was dismissed.
Licence revocation and council stance
The licensing and gambling sub-committee, chaired by Cllr Christine Banks, revoked the premises licence. Cllr Banks stated: "Liverpool Council takes serious violence against young women, men and girls seriously in every shape or form. We have to protect the public and that's our role in this city to ensure people can enjoy a night out and not be harassed." She noted the council's duty to protect the public. The venue had been subject to a review instigated by Merseyside Police following the allegations. Despite Hobbs' acceptance of failures and upgrades, the committee deemed the measures insufficient to retain the licence.
