00:00 Hayley Mabbitt was on her way home from an NRL game when a car began following her.
00:07 The three men inside then made threats of sexual violence.
00:11 So there was some yelling that I couldn't make out at the start, but what I did make
00:15 out very clearly was, "You better be going home or I'll rape you."
00:20 Unfortunately, it's not unusual, and I know many females that have experienced the same
00:25 thing, but I've never been able to capture it on video before.
00:29 The 32-year-old Brisbane resident had caught a train from the footy ground and was walking
00:34 home.
00:35 Ms Mabbitt has since experienced victim blaming, with some questioning her choice to walk.
00:41 I can understand why I get asked that question, why women get asked that question, but it's
00:45 also frustrating on the other hand that women can't do that without feeling safe because
00:50 of instances like that.
00:52 Hayley Mabbitt says catching public transport to see the footy is no longer something she
00:58 feels safe to do.
01:00 She's not alone.
01:01 A Bureau of Statistics survey found 2.2 million women won't walk alone after dark because
01:08 they feel unsafe.
01:09 Advocates say this needs to change.
01:12 That's not an unusual activity and not one that people should be afraid to undertake,
01:17 and yet here we have a young woman with a credible threat of sexual violence that she
01:21 managed to catch on camera.
01:23 The NRL has declined to speak to the ABC about fan safety, but advocates say its condemnation
01:30 is crucial.
01:31 I do feel sporting codes have an ethical responsibility to ensure that women can participate in enjoying
01:37 their sports by having a consistent message that behaviour like this is completely unacceptable.
01:43 Ms Mabbitt says she's reported it to police.
01:46 And I think they should absolutely be spoken to about their actions because regardless
01:52 if it was a joke or something serious, neither of those are okay.
01:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]
Comments