‘Name and shame’ social media pages an ‘indictment’ on justice system

Social media vigilantes are using ‘name and shame’ tactics to curb sexual harassment, holding the ‘creeps’ of Melbourne hospitality to account.

Not So Hospitable founder Jamie Bucirde. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“Vigilante” social media pages are using “name and shame” tactics to curb sexual harassment, with one anonymous poster holding the “creeps” of Melbourne hospitality to account.

Early this year, an anonymous Instagram page titled @melbhospocreeps began exposing those accused of sexual abuse and harassment.

The account collects evidence and multiple testimonies against an alleged abuser, before posting their name, picture and workplace.

Since its first post in March, the account has called out 10 men, and leaned on venues indicted in multiple accounts to raise safety standards. In the four months since, the account has accrued 10,000 followers. It also provides instructional guides on how to officially report instances of sexual harassment.

Newly established “vigilante” page @melbhospocreeps has identified ten alleged sexual offenders since March 2024.

@melbhospocreeps isn’t alone in using testimonials to reform the rates of abuse in the night-time economy.

Adelaide advocacy group Not So Hospitable built a report from hundreds of complaints of alleged abuse, harassment and bullying. It has since driven the South Australian state government to begin a consultation process regarding sexual violence training within Responsible Service of Alcohol education.

Founder Jamie Bucirde avoided naming and shaming because of the risk of defamation. “Perpetrators of sexual violence deserve to be publicly outed and put out of work, it just won’t be through myself,” she said. “It makes sense to me that people would want to keep their anonymity. This is about how many people, and mostly women, have experienced sexual harassment in hospitality. These numbers speak volumes.”

In 2021, a collection of University of Sydney students developed Confidant, an app with which new lawyers could report incidents of harassment and bullying at their firms. Three years later, the Legal Services Commissions launched its own anonymous reporting tool.

This style of online “neighbourhood watch” grew out of Facebook groups such as “Sis, is this your man?”, a format for Facebook groups in which users warn other women of the threatening behaviour by previous partners and former dates. Groups such as “Do we have the same boyfriend/girlfriend?” do the same for possible infidelities.

Saxon Mullins. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Advocacy director at Rape and Sexual Assault Research and Advocacy Saxon Mullins said these online communities provided a variety of means for reporting sexual abuse, beyond courts and police.

“Justice looks different for everybody,” Ms Mullins said. “These are clearly run by people who want to make this working space better, and that’s always going to be a good thing.”

Ms Mullins said it was an extension of the non-legal process for sexual assault reporting used by many Australian universities.

“I think it shows our understanding of what constitutes assault, abuse and harassment is growing, but our trust in the system is not,” she said. “Even if we have the best case scenario, when people feel safe and supported to go to the police … you still have to go through an incredibly traumatising process.

“These sort of neighbourhood watch groups will continue to exist forever.”