Lily Revéreault, a 19-year-old University of Birmingham student from Brighton, has spoken out about what she describes as "countless" instances of harassment during her first academic year in the city. In an interview with BirminghamLive, she recounted multiple disturbing incidents, including being masturbated at on a bus, having men shout sexual comments, and being followed.
Revéreault, who moved to Birmingham in September last year, said she was "quite shocked with how normal harassment was" in the city compared to her hometown. "Even from the first few weeks of being there it was just like so many little things that I never really experienced down here [in Brighton]," she told BirminghamLive.
Incidents on buses and streets
One of the most distressing incidents occurred on a bus in the city centre, where a man masturbated while staring at her. Revéreault also described being followed and having men shout sexual comments at her while she walked through the streets. She said these experiences have left her feeling "scared" and "on edge" even during routine activities like grocery shopping.
"It does make me scared. I feel like I'm more on edge and alert of things when there's no threat - even if I'm trying to go food shopping, I'm constantly scared someone's going to try and harass me," she explained.
Disturbing encounter near campus
Revéreault recounted a specific incident that occurred while she was walking back to her university campus with two friends. A car pulled up alongside them, and the driver said he "wasn't going to be weird" before making a disturbing sexual innuendo. "He said 'you made my thimble tingle, or something,'" she recalled. "I didn't say anything. We were just standing there confused."
The man then pushed his hips up, saying "you probably can't see because I'm sitting down." The men in the car laughed as Revéreault and her friends attempted to walk away, with one shouting to ask for her phone number.
Daytime harassment at 10am
In another incident, which occurred about three months ago, a man walked past Revéreault and her friend in broad daylight. "Right before I left [first year of university], I was walking back in the daytime, around 10am, with my friend and this guy walks past us," she said. The man commented on her appearance, then turned back and said, "oh, I'd like a slice of that, I can see your a*** jiggling."
Revéreault said she was "so shocked" she couldn't react, and it was her friend who stepped in to swear at the man. "I can never react straight away in the moment," she admitted. She also noted that the man mentioned he had a wife, adding, "whatever, like that makes it any better?"
Revéreault is speaking out in hopes of change, citing the "countless" uncomfortable incidents she has experienced since arriving in Birmingham, from leering to more overt harassment. Her account highlights the prevalence of street harassment in the city and its impact on young women's sense of safety.
