CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of sexual assault and rape.
An eye-opening Instagram account surfaced last week, sharing anonymously submitted experiences of victims of sexual assault within Lincoln
The page, @lincsanonymous, began actively posting on July 28 and has gained over 500 followers in the past week.
Although the page predominantly shares anonymously submitted stories, it also aims to support survivors of assault, often sharing contact details of helplines and services as well as educational information on topics like coercion and consent.
Rebekah, a Lincoln resident and the founder of Lincoln Anonymous, says her own experiences drove her to create the page.
“As a victim of sexual assault myself, I wanted to create a safe and anonymous space where survivors can come together and tell their stories whilst also spreading awareness at the same time,” she said.
The anonymous stories have been submitted in high numbers since the page began just over a week ago, so much so that Rebekah has had to recruit some admins to help her publish them all.
The submissions, of which over 40 have been shared on the page, include situations of drink spiking, coercion, harassment and rape.
“The stories are upsetting, but it is worth it to empower survivors and spread awareness,” said Rebekah.
“It really shows just how bad sexual assault is, even in a small city like Lincoln.”
One young woman who contacted The Linc with her own story, but wishes to remain anonymous, has experienced sexual assault first-hand on a night out in the city.
She says she was followed by a man who then put his hand up her dress and under her underwear without consent, describing the situation as ‘horrific.’
She has also experienced catcalling and being followed on streets at night, leading to her refusing to walk home alone when she finishes work late.
According to research by Statista there were over 154 thousand sexual offences recorded in England and Wales between 2019 and 2020.
Lincoln Anonymous’ founder, Rebekah, hopes the page will not only shed some light on the staggering number of Lincoln residents effected by sexual assault and violence, but also encourage awareness, support and belief in survivors within the wider community.
If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual assault you can contact Lincolnshire Rape Crisis on 0800 33 4 55 00 or email support@lincolnshirerapecrisis.org.uk.
You can also submit your own experiences anonymously via the link in the bio at @Lincsanonymous on Instagram.