Newcastle bar Rogue Scholar responds after woman assaulted

A woman was allegedly slapped and headbutted on a bar dancefloor by an unknown man over the weekend.

A popular NSW bar has responded following claims staff did not call police after an unknown man allegedly attacked a woman on its dancefloor.

Britt Mitchell, 31, was at Newcastle’s the Rogue Scholar on Saturday night when a middle-aged man allegedly slapped and headbutted her.

According to her fiance, Hayley Goldie, Ms Mitchell was left bleeding from the nose and her shirt was ripped from her body in the incident about 11.30pm.

It was claimed in a viral social media post that Ms Mitchell was directed by staff to a back room, while the man was evicted.

However, NSW Police has since confirmed it was not notified of the incident until about 12 hours later.

“The venue just let this man leave,” Ms Goldie wrote on Sunday.

Britt Mitchell was assaulted at a Newcastle bar on March 15. Picture: Supplied

In a statement on its social media pages, the Rogue Scholar said its staff immediately rendered assistance to Ms Mitchell and she stayed at the venue for 45 minutes.

“At no point did it appear to us that the injured person was dissatisfied with the support we provided.”

Ms Goldie told news.com.au Ms Mitchell was “physically OK” but “mentally she’s absolutely not”.

“She’s not sleeping. She’s got headaches,” Ms Goldie said.

She said it was not the first time Ms Mitchell had been assaulted by random men and she wanted to be strong for other women who were the victim of similar incidents.

Hayley Goldie (left) with Britt Mitchell. Picture: Supplied

News of the attack has sparked an outpouring of anger in the Newcastle community with others coming forward to share witness accounts of the incident, or their own stories of assault.

The couple are now planning to hold a rally highlighting violence against women.

“It’s been so overwhelming but I’m really glad that I put it out there because so many other women have messaged and come forward saying, ‘yes, this happened to me’,” Ms Goldie said.

“Or, ‘I’ve been physically assaulted. I’ve been sexually assaulted’. It’s definitely made noise for change, which is really, really good.”

A post by The Rogue Scholar. Picture: Supplied

Operators of the Rogue Scholar addressed the incident in a post to its social media pages in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The bar’s Instagram and Facebook accounts were later taken down sometime on Monday night or Tuesday morning.

“We want to address the incident that occurred last night with care and transparency,” it began.

“Please know that this is not an attempt to excuse or diminish the seriousness of what happened, but rather provide a clear and honest account.

“Unfortunately, there was an assault involving a patron. The individual responsible and other people directly involved in the incident were promptly removed from the venue, and our staff immediately offered assistance to the injured person.”

It went on to say that “we genuinely believed we were acting with the utmost care and concern”.

“At no point did it appear to us that the injured person was dissatisfied with the support we provided.”

Britt Mitchell was also assaulted in Sydney several years ago. Picture: Supplied

They said the injured patron remained at the venue for 45 minutes and staff later checked in with her at a nearby bar: “Our priority throughout has been to ensure the safety and welfare of those affected.

“Our actions were driven by a genuine desire to help and support those affected.”

The Rogue Scholar was contacted for comment.

NSW Police has confirmed its officers were not alerted to the incident until about midday on Sunday.

“On Sunday 16 March 2025, officers attached to Newcastle City Police District commenced an investigation following reports of an alleged assault in Newcastle West.

“Police were told that about 11.30pm on Saturday 15 March 2025, a 31-year-old woman was assaulted by an unknown man at a licensed premises on Union Street, Newcastle West.

“The man is described as being aged in his 50s, of medium build, with brown hair styled into a mullet.

“He was last seen wearing a white and blue flannelette shirt, with blue jeans.”