A judge has condemned Gloucestershire University’s Rugby and Football Club culture that led six students to perform sex acts on a double decker bus.
These six rugby players stripped off and performed revolting acts in front of horrified passengers, including girls, on a bus from Cheltenham to Gloucester while returning home from a football and rugby club annual day out on September 20th last year.
Their shameful acts were part of an initiation operated by the University’s Rugby and Football Club, which has since been disbanded by officials, the Daily Mail reports.
Judge Jamie Tabor condemned the incident, saying that the club culture was its the ‘root’ cause.
“This culture of ‘striping’ is furthered by some young mens’ inherent desire to inflict upon or humiliate their fellow human beings and it requires courage to resist. But you are all old enough to vote. You are old enough, or would have been old enough, had it been the case to have been flying over the fields of war in 1940,” he said.
“Some of you, indeed, would have been considered old. You are old enough to have landed on the beaches of Normandy on D Day. You are old enough to say No. When matters got out of hand as they did on that bus you should have had the guts to say No,” Tabor added.
The court heard that the defendants have written letters of apology to the girls they had offended.
Judge Tabor has given them a conditional discharge, saying that he did not want to harm their future studies or careers.
All the six defendants have been baned from going to pubs, clubs and all ‘on’ licence premises for 160 days.
“No pubs, no clubs, no restuarants at all for 160 days. Not even the student bar. You will have to remain sober in public. If you want to drink you are going to have to drink in private,” he added.
Each of the six was also ordered to pay costs of 180 pounds.