Mumford And Sons, Zara Larsson Speak Out Against Repeated Sexual Assaults At Swedish Music Festivals

Trigger warning: This article discusses rape and sexual abuse.

Mumford and Sons have spoken out against Sweden’s Bravalla Festival, which they headlined over the weekend, and where at least 17 people reported sexual assaults.

Police are investigating five reports of rape and “more than a dozen” accounts of sexual assault at the Norrköping-based fest, according to the Associated Press.

That horrendous figure still pales next to the number of reported instances of sexual assault against women and girls aged 12 to 20 at the Putte I Parken fest in Karlstad from the previous weekend: 32.

In a Facebook post, Bravalla’s headliners said they were “gutted by these hideous reports” and pledged to boycott the festival until safety could be ensured for their audience.

Zara Larsson, a Swedish native who also played Bravalla, similarly Tweeted her outrage after discovering a fan was attacked during her set. Fuse has translated those Tweets from Swedish:

“F*** you who shamelessly raped a girl in the audience. You deserve to burn in hell. F*** you for making girls feel insecure when they go to a festival. I hate guys. Hate hate hate. How am I supposed to take it seriously when you say 'not all men,' 'I'm a nice guy, I don't rape'? Where do all the 'nice guys' go when girls are raped? Are you too busy telling women how nice you are? It's not f****** hard to be generalised. It's hard to feel insecure about a festival where you just wanna go to have fun and enjoy. BUT YOU CAN'T, BECAUSE OF MEN. UGH.”

In January, Swedish police were investigated for supposedly covering up numerous sexual reports at another festival in Stockholm the previous year.

Until Sweden addresses this highly disturbing trend, expect more boycotts to come.

Are you experiencing sexual assault or domestic and family violence? Seeking to support someone who is? Call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

For more information on counselling and treatment plans you can contact your school’s health services as well as Reach Out.

Photo: Facebook.