This story's been years in the making. Mixed feelings now it's live I've spoken to hundreds of women. Sexual assualt has been a huge open secret in the tattoo world. Predatory actions brushed off with "oh that's just what he's like" #metoo
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Alice Snape
@alicecsnape
Writer. Worrier. Curator. Tattoo collector. Author Tattoo Street Style . Founder . Bylines , Red, Metro...
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Thanks for asking me to share my story. CW/ I describe the assault by tattooist Billy Hay, failures in the justice system which led me to being sued, sexual assault myths experienced, and the judge's very reassuring response to them:
glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/nina-c #MeToo
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Just got tickets for this. Finally you can speak
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We are excited to have @OhNinaC on the panel at our Defeating the Silencing of Women Speaking Out About Sexual Assault event on 25 May.
Nina won a landmark judgement last month defending her right to speak out about the man who sexually assaulted her.
ow.ly/buur50OjcLS
ow.ly/buur50OjcLS
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A bad day for abusers. An excellent day for #MeToo
I drew SO much strength from when sued for defamation by the man who assaulted me.
To see this successful judgement a week+ after my own… it’s another day I never thought would come. Eternal respect for her ❤️🔥
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A victory for @ejeancarroll, and a blow to the absurd, insidious and misogynistic rape myths that Trump's lawyer tried to lob at her.
The sheer strength of character that woman has shown was worthy of far more noble opponent. But we are all in her debt that she took him on.
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Following a recent trial where I supported a rape victim my faith in a jury has gone.
The public heard in court:
▪️X admitted in police interview to raping victim
▪️trial - on stand X explains victim told the truth in her ABE
▪️X admits on stand that the victim didn’t consent 1/2
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A week of being able to speak freely after being gagged for almost three years. Let me tell you, the vulnerability hangover is REAL.
I never wanted to speak publicly about Billy Hay - the tattooist who assaulted me. But when all doors were closed, I felt I had no other choice 🧵
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We are expecting to receive, fairly imminently, three judgments. I don't know what the results of any of the cases are. 🧵
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I feel quite nervous sharing this but I hope it gives a bit of hope to anyone else who has experienced the pain of infertility. You are not alone. Thanks to @WeareChildfree and everyone who talked to me for this article theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2
Correction: Doctors should not HAVE to strike. There, fixed it for you.
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Doctors should not strike. twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/…
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history books never prepared me for how surreal it is to have to continue with the minutiae of daily life no matter how cataclysmic the news gets, how twisted the fabric of society becomes, or how monstrously those around us behave
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I know I’m not the only person to say this but it is *truly* mind-boggling that BBC News is leading with coverage of Gary Lineker’s refusal to stop criticising a government policy, rather than the actual policy itself which is being condemned around the world
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👇🏻 we await a judgment on another case of a man attempting to silence a woman.
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It has been a surreal week. I've walked along the Thames each morning on my way to the Royal Courts of Justice to find a seat in the public gallery of court 13 - the very same room in which the Vardy V Rooney and Depp V The Sun libels cases unfolded. #hayvcresswell
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For anyone wondering the witnesses were JJ Jackson and Bez from Triple Six in Sunderland where Billy was guesting on that fateful night
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A courtroom feels like an entire universe. When you're in there, everything else slips away. But it was especially strange hearing the tattoo industry talked about by barristers.
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This is a simplified version of everything that has been said on both sides. Yesterday there were closing arguments from each of the barristers - the claimant Billy and the defendant Nina. I have pages of notes and thoughts which I will turn into something more detailed next week
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Nina, the defendant, gave her account on day three. She was hidden from the court behind a screen. She reported the sexual assault to the police who told her she was drunk and that she shouldn't waste police time. The case was closed within mere hours of her reporting it.
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When Billy took the stand, he said he remembered trying to kiss Nina and her pulling away. But mostly it was a "nothing" night.
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Billy called on two tattooists as witnesses who gave evidence on day two, one of them talked of "murmurs" in the industry and shared that he'd occasionally been asked if Billy was "creepy" to which he replied, how can you tell in this "current climate"?
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In Billy's barrister's opening argument, he accused Nina of being motivated by malice and that the accusation is made up. When asked by the judge, what is the improper motivation? The barrister responded by saying he didn't know and it would be "difficult" to prove.
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Tattooist William (Billy) Hay is suing Nina Cresswell for damages (£60-75k). Nina named Billy in a blog post detailing a sexual assault that happened almost 13 years ago near Passions nightclub. He says the blog post is a work of fiction.
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This week from Monday to Thursday it was home to Hay V Cresswell - a defamation case I've been following because of the #tattoometoo movement. The trial was open to the public so I'm able to talk about the details of what happened in that room.
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It has been a surreal week. I've walked along the Thames each morning on my way to the Royal Courts of Justice to find a seat in the public gallery of court 13 - the very same room in which the Vardy V Rooney and Depp V The Sun libels cases unfolded. #hayvcresswell
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I am in the High Court this week watching this unfold. Nina said me too and now she is being sued for defamation. She was let down by the police multiple times – told she was drunk and how hard sexual assault cases are to prove. But now she's the one on trial.
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She said #MeToo. Now she’s being sued.
With 10 days to go until her court hearing, donate here to support Nina in the libel case she is facing after speaking out about her sexual assault
glplive.org/4a8996
(Video CW: sexual assault)
glplive.org/4a8996
(Video CW: sexual assault)
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This story's been years in the making. Mixed feelings now it's live @CosmopolitanUK I've spoken to hundreds of women. Sexual assualt has been a huge open secret in the tattoo world. Predatory actions brushed off with "oh that's just what he's like" #metoo
cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a42
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In the last couple of weeks I've learned from the police / media if I want to avoid going missing or being murdered I need to:
Not be too ambitious or high-achieving.
Not earn more than my partner (too late)
Not go to a park.
Not to drink alcohol.
Not to go through menopause.
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Resharing an essay I wrote about saying goodbye to someone who had chosen to die - in light of #PrueAndDanny doc. The law in this country absolutely needs to change.
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Looking to speak to women in relationships with men who've realised they are also attracted to women. How do you embrace that part of you? For a feature but also for me. Can be anon or completely private between us. DMs open or drop me an email #journorequest #bisexual
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Word of the day is ‘malverse’ (17th century): to act corruptly in a position of trust.
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What actually is the issue? Not everyone can afford to buy branded £90 dunks.
Growing up, I solely wore branded item knock-offs, but I’m so grateful social media wasn’t a thing then cause I never felt any shame.
I was blissfully unaware it was apparently worth mocking?
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We spoke to for this important piece about sexual violence in the tattoo industry. We extend solidarity to the victims and survivors who have bravely shared their stories.
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such an important piece about the power dynamic between tattoo artists and clients - and how, sadly, this feeds into allowing sexual assault and a culture of misogyny to thrive in some studios (not all, but far too many). has spent years working on this story:
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This story's been years in the making. Mixed feelings now it's live @CosmopolitanUK I've spoken to hundreds of women. Sexual assualt has been a huge open secret in the tattoo world. Predatory actions brushed off with "oh that's just what he's like" #metoo
cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a42
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The tattoo world is having a Me Too moment: why has sexual assault in the industry been covered up so long?
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I thought being scared of dogs was just something about myself that would never change. But here I am now. A devoted dog mum. I wrote about the greatest love story of my life for @MetroUK
metro.co.uk/2023/01/14/i-u
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and to for her patience and edits, this feature has been in the works for a very long time.
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Thanks to the survivors who trusted me with your stories, and the tattoo artists who told me about the industry, and to for your words of support and advice
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Many of the women who spoke to me decided against sharing their stories publicly – they didn’t want to be recognised or for their court cases to be put at risk. Some are being sued for defamation by the tattooists they allege to have abused them
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Like so many big names in other industries, everyone knew who they were. No one said anything because they didn't want to ruin their own careers
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for all the girlies who thought they did it first, it feels important to note that miss piggy was making in/out lists in 1983
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