One women assaulted every week at a Gold Coast house party

A SEXUAL violence expert has revealed just how many women are sexually assaulted at house parties across the Gold Coast each week.

AT least one woman is assaulted by a friend at a house party every week on the Gold Coast, according to experts in sexual violence.

Instances are rarely reported with women fearing what will happen to their friend group or too ashamed to speak out.

The horrifying statistic was revealed just one day after Justin Nisbett was found guilty ion the Southport District Court performing oral sex on a sleeping friend following a house party.

He was found not guilty of rape.

Justin Nisbett at Southport Courthouse, Southport. Picture: Jerad Williams

The woman had fallen asleep in the lounge room following a house party last year.

Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence director Di MacLeod said the situation was not uncommon.

“There would not be a week that goes by that we wouldn’t have a case go through that has similar circumstances,” she said.

“Women really weigh up whether they are going to tell anyone.”

Ms MacLeod said because the instances often happen in a tight friend group, women are often concerned about what the consequences are.

Nathan Teece was found guilty of rape in the Southport Magistrates Court. Photo: Facebook

“There is the shame and embarrassment of what has occurred and there is the potential to break up the whole friendship group if they speak out,” she said.

“People, in the same way as a divorce, people tend to take sides.”

Nisbett’s conviction was the second case with a similar scenario to hit headlines this year.

In May Nathan Teece was found guilty of raping a friend as she slept following a party at a Burleigh home.

GET A NEW SET OF HEADPHONES WITH YOUR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

Teece was sentenced to seven years prison.

Ms MacLeod said despite the prominence of these two cases, it was most likely still not enough to encourage women to go to the police.

She said it would take more exposure of cases and more perpetrators facing consequences for women to feel more comfortable in coming forward.

Originally published as One women assaulted every week at a Gold Coast house party