I was sexually assaulted during my first year at university 10 years ago by an unknown guy. I had my drink spiked during a night out and my memory went completely blank. The next thing I remember is being outside my halls of residence with the guy and I have no memory of how we got there or what happened before this point. Did we walk back? I think we might have, but it was very far and I can’t know for sure. My memory of the assault is also blurry, but it could’ve been far worse had it not been for another student who realised something wasn’t right and chased the guy away before he made it into my room. I spent the next three days alone in my room, feeling ashamed thinking I had somehow invited the abuse into my life through my own actions. I never reported what happened because it took me a long time to really come to terms with it, and to realise that I had been drugged – I had had barely nothing to drink before meeting the guy, when everything went black and have never experienced anything similar either before or after this incident. Looking back, I wish I had done something about it but I have no memory of what the guy looks like and I don’t know his name or anything about him. He remains an unknowable shadow that’s followed me for the past 10 years.
