Alleged Assault During Drum Performance
A street busker in Birmingham city centre has reported being sexually assaulted by a member of the public while performing. The incident occurred on May 30 when the man, who wishes to remain anonymous, was playing drums in Centenary Square, near Baskerville House and the Central Library.
The busker, in his 50s, claims a man approached him, placed an arm around his neck, and performed what he described as a 'sexually gyrating dance move' against his back. The interaction was captured on video footage shared with BirminghamLive.
Video Footage Details
The video shows the busker seated in front of a drum kit, with a speaker playing Justin Timberlake's 'Can't Stop The Feeling'. A man dressed in party attire emerges from the right, points at the busker, and walks over. They fist-bump, and the man pretends to sing into a large inflatable microphone before dancing behind the busker's back for about five seconds, then walking off.
Busker's Reaction and Police Response
Following the incident, the busker said he felt 'confused' and had 'mixed emotions'. He stated: 'I was laughing nervously because I was like did this really happen? There's been times when I was like, you know, you know, upset, angry and all that stuff.'
He reported the matter to West Midlands Police. The busker claimed a female officer initially 'definitely saw that it's sexual assault', but the case was later transferred to a male officer who allegedly said because the man's face 'wasn't aroused by what he was doing, they can't call it sexual assault.' The busker believes the outcome might have been different if he were female.
Police Statement
A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: 'We launched an investigation after receiving a report of sexual assault in Birmingham city centre. We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously, and we’ve carried out a range of enquiries, including a full review of video footage. At this stage, we have no current active lines of enquiry, but we will always assess any further information we receive. We’d ask anyone with information to contact us via Live Chat on our website, or by calling 101, quoting crime reference 20/270175/26.'
