I wanted to jump off a bridge after two men raped me
DJ TELLS OF HOTEL ORDEAL TO RAISE AWARENESS OF VILE ATTACKS
A YOUNG man has revealed that he was driven to the brink of suicide after being brutally raped by two men in a Manchester hotel room.
Sam Thompson said he felt ‘dirty’ and ‘ashamed’ – and that he ‘wanted to jump off a bridge’ – following the terrifying ordeal, which lasted several hours.
The 22-year-old had been on a night out in Manchester city centre with friends before the horrific attack.
Sam, who has waived his anonymity to encourage other victims to speak out, said: “I wanted to end my life. I felt dirty and ashamed, like it was my fault. I didn’t think rape could happen to me.
“I want to make men aware, to break the silence surrounding the crime.”
Sam was attacked on September 1 last year, having moved to the city to be with his then girlfriend. He was assaulted after joining a group of strangers for a nightcap at a hotel, after being separated from a friend.
Sam said he remembers being in a hotel room before the group dispersed and he was left with two men.
“It’s hazy what happened,” he added.
“They gave me a drink. I don’t know if it was spiked.
“I remember them taking my jeans off, but I tried not to focus on what was happening. Both guys took turns to rape me.”
Left with internal cuts and bruises, Sam remembers staggering home in a daze.
He said: “I wanted to jump off a bridge. I didn’t want to live. “It was only the thought of my family, that it would have destroyed them, that I thought, I can’t do it to them.” Sam later contacted police after speaking to his then girlfriend and a friend. Officers drove him to a place where he remembered seeing car park arches after leaving the hotel, hoping to pinpoint where he had been attacked. “I didn’t want to be there,” Sam said. “I wasn’t interested.” After officers arranged for him to have swabs taken, to collect evidence, he was told he could not wash. “I had the same clothes on and smelt of the blokes. It was awful,” he added. Sam moved from Manchester back to Newark in Nottinghamshire, where he grew up, following the attack.
“For the next month, I wanted to die,” he said. I lost control. I was anxious, I couldn’t leave the house.”
Sam’s relationship with his girlfriend crumbled and he had a nervous breakdown. He is now rebuilding his life as an aspiring DJ.
In the spring he started working with the charity, Survivors Manchester – which supports male survivors of rape and sexual abuse – to help deliver specialist training to Greater Manchester Police.
He is now sharing his story to ‘break the silence’ surrounding the ‘taboo’ subject of male rape, and to encourage other victims to speak out.
GMP said arrests were made in connection with Sam’s rape, but that no further action was taken.
Det Chief Insp Chris Mossop said: “We welcome the work carried out by Mr Thompson to raise awareness of male rape and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him. He has shown immense bravery in coming forward and telling his story.”
They gave me a drink, I don’t know if it was spiked, and remember them taking my jeans off Sam Thompson