Friday 31 October 2008

Breaking News: SU Closed Pending Police Investigation

Queen’s Students’ Union is closed to students today, Friday, and is currently under investigation by the police.

This morning, Queen’s security staff have been patrolling the front entrance of the Union, informing students of the building’s closure.

Ciarnan Helferty, President of the Students’ Union, was reluctant to say anything at this early stage in the investigation, but confirmed that a “fairly serious incident” occurred at the SU event last night.

Last night’s Fancy Dress Ball ended five minutes before 2am. The shutters to the cloakroom were closed, preventing students from collecting their coats at the end of the night. Students recalled that security staff told them to collect their belongings the next day. A police presence was spotted outside the Union by students as they left the building.

Ciarnan Helferty said that control of the Students’ Union has been handed over to the police for use in their investigation. He also commented that no SU staff have been allowed into the building so far today.

It is expected that the SU will re-open later this evening, and that Queen’s University will release a statement on these events later today.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

to quote someone i know who was working behind the bar in the union last night "A girl got raped out the back, then the police were called and the whole place was evacuated".

Just seen several police officers scouring that area out the back very carefully in a row, so maybe its true?

Anonymous said...

A student was raped on in the union apparently. This is just awful.

Anonymous said...

How did someone in the union at the material time know that someone had been raped? Did this person have 'privileged' knowledge? I really hope for the victim's sake that this bar-worker has come forward to the police with their unique perspective of the incident. I know a few concerned students who have posted on this story, but only two comments have been published so far. Why is the Gown stiffling debate on this upsetting yet definiive thread?

Gown Team said...

The Gown can confirm that only three comments have veen posted on this issue, and they have all been published.

Anonymous said...

Will the Union ever detail the seriousness of the 'incident' which occurred, or will we students be expected to remain in the dark?

Anonymous said...

expect the su to keep us in the dark. they have done nothing yet to help to protect us from the raising sexual attacks in the area - even when it is in our own building.

Anonymous said...

some of the above comments are pathetic. If someone was attacked or sexually assulted of course the SU couldn't say anything yet- at at until the police have completed initial investigations.

I appreciate that some people just hate the SU- but to use this attack as ammunition is disgusting.

Shame.

Anonymous said...

I can't help but agree with the above comment... There are four/five stories on here about the recent attacks - each of which condemn the union.

It's pretty pathetic that you use these terrible incidents as a means of attacking qubsu. The commentor above tries to claim the union is keeping people in the dark and they have done nothing to protect us - I have had no contact with any of the officers who run the place, but find it difficult to understand how any of them can protect us - this is about people taking care 0of themselves.

It would be better if you spent your time proposing a solution rather than turning everything into meaningless and (to quote above) shameful politics.

Anonymous said...

I really can't believe that some people are willing to use a rape or sexual assult as a pretext to slag the SU, it's staff and student officers.

Perhaps some of the authors of the above comments can illuminate us all about what steps the SU could have taken to stop an attack when we know nothing about where or how or when this thing to place?

If you hate the SU and the people who worrk there enough to try and blame them in some way for a rape ( without of course mentioning the scum who attacked this girl) then your a sad and disgusting individual.

The previous comment got it right some people are pathetic!

Anonymous said...

Who would hate the SU? And why?

Anonymous said...

Jesus, a rape in the union? I was there on Thursday night and we were kicked out early.

I got one of those rape alarms from the union and got some info from them about staying safe a few weeks ago.

The president came to my induction talk bout watching how much you drink when out on the lash, looking out for yourself and your mates when out and him and the chancellor of queens send out an email last week about being and keeping safe. But what the hell can you do to stop perverts?

Anonymous said...

Why do so many of the anonymous Union luvvies have such a chip in their shoulder? FFS if there's a rape on my doorstep I'd expect to hear, not get back some babbling crap about how I've found new depths from attack the SU exec.

Anonymous said...

I was told by someone outside the Union on the day it closed and I know bar staff and the Exec pretty well. I don't have 'privalged access'. Leave the SU alone. The people who work here have done everything they can to protect us and none of them would ever let something like this happen if they could stop it.

Anonymous said...

Ciarnan-

Please don't try to justify your lack of action with sock puppetry on this blog.

You've let all students down.

Anonymous said...

I'm beginning to worry about our area, sounds like there's a rape a minute out there.

Anonymous said...

non bio Bruce-

I think the chip comes from how sick some people are: they are using the rape of a girl as ammunition to attack the people who run and work in the union. What about a mention about the guy who did this? No, oh yeah, your right, it's the big bad union who hate students and are responsable for this. Seriously: how low can you get?

Anonymous said...

Yes Anon but you may note that I didn't blame the union and those who run it for the incident.

Yet when i ask questions I hear all this crap about how I'm sub human for 'blamin' the SU exec for a rape. When all I really want is a little confirmtion of what actually happened (without fingerpointing you'll notice).


But I think some of the Union luvvies seem to have a victim complex, interpreting every comment into a full scale onslaught on their characters.

Chillax

Anonymous said...

get a grip folks. the exec are student representatives, they are not politicians, they don't control the police force and they can't personally walk everyone home, they do what they can with the little resources they have. perhaps the student body needs to be more proactive itself i.e. looking out for each other, helping friends get home etc. Obviously that's not going to completely solve the problem but equally you shoudn't expect the exec to be able to solve it.

Anonymous said...

Any update on this? is the union open again? any suspects?

Anonymous said...

That is a pretty bad cop out - you tried to insinuate the the su was covering comething up or keeping students in the dark in your last post non bio - last time i checked though crimes were investigated by the police and not union officers.

If there was some kind of a cover up surely it would be mentioned in the actually Gown story rather than the hearsay that's in place at the minute.

I think there's a lot that needs to be done but at the end of the day we live in a democracy and people choose to go out and get drunk so they are ultimately responsible for what happens to them - which in no one way lessons the actions of these sick bastards - it's about common sense and personal safety.

Anonymous said...

According to the news, a 17 year old girl was involved. How did she get into the union in the first place?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7702953.stm

Anonymous said...

Just to clarify my above comment, I am not in anyway suggesting it's her own fault, or anything remotely like that. I'm just questioning the Union's admission policy. Do they routinely serve alcohol to minors?

Anonymous said...

The rapist was 5'4"? wtf

Also, Queens is going to get a name for itself as the 'rape uni' soon. It's getting way too common.

Anonymous said...

seriously, what is the crack with this story??? What's happened since?

Anonymous said...

Union was opened today, so I would guess last night passed off ok thank heavens.

Anonymous said...

Thank God indeed Slightly Bruised Man. We don't want QUB getting the reputation as RAPE University do we? For my part I don't really care what the SU Officers get up to as long as they defend this QUB reputation and work with the authorities.

It is not some kind of Race. To the Rape - has any outcome been made public yet?

Anonymous said...

The allegations have been withdrawn.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Barbara. Although I hear that the 17 year old girl involved in this incident dropped the allegation. Perhaps she misinterpreted her male friends advances; or maybe just decided she liked him better than she thought. I hope she is ok though, a bit young to be round the union, and way too young to have something like rape scar her innocence.

The idea of increasing sexual offences around the university area is frightening. Rape and sex crime really are shits that need wiping up round south Belfast.