Home massage risks highlighted by sex assault victims
Callum Urquhart advertised his home massage services on social media where he was booked by Yas - not his real name. She said her massage began professionally and Urquhart asked her permission before massaging 오피가격 certain parts of her body. But he quickly sexually assaulted her.
"I think in a situation like that you can't believe it's happening and there's a part of your brain that tells you not to overreact," he told the BBC. "But he started getting really bad - at that point it was pretty clear what was going on." I don't know if he will torture me [or] kill me. I just don't know."
After reporting the incident to the police, Yas learned that Urquhart had no qualifications in massage therapy and had never received any form of training. Even after he was arrested and investigated by police for sexual assault, the BBC found he was able to continue giving massages - and sexually assaulting clients.
Last year, Urquhart was jailed for sexually assaulting four female clients in Bristol. Yas says she is "heartbroken" that nothing will stop Urquhart from practicing and assaulting other women. He believes that change is necessary: “If there were regulations, I think he would have been investigated or fired.
"His actions have some consequences," he added. "One of the reasons I'm reporting this is to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else."
Lack of regulation
Under current UK regulations, massage therapists do not need a license or any formal research training to start a massage practice. So anyone can become a therapist because the title is not protected. There is an accredited register where the public can look up a masseuse or masseuse. But because it's voluntary, experts say only a minority sign up.
Some local authorities require premises offering massage therapy to have a business licence, which can be withdrawn if the business is deemed unsafe. However, in order for the government to regulate health care providers such as physical therapists, they must consider it a high risk of harm to the public.
However, the BBC has found more than a dozen criminal cases in the past six years in which criminals used the massage industry to rape and sexually assault clients. This includes by ra cases where massage therapists advertise and provide services even after they have been arrested for sex offenses. Yas says the lasting effects of his attack were devastating. "I didn't want to sleep for a long time because I kept dreaming about it. I had panic attacks and it made me question my own judgment because I trusted this person to come to my house - so I feel like I can." don't trust anyone," he added.
The rise of wellness apps has made it easier than ever to book in-home massages. Urban is an app that allows customers to find independent massage therapists that can be booked and delivered to their door within an hour. Taylor – not her real name – is often chosen to be massaged by women when booking home massages on the app. But when he decided to treat himself to a deep tissue massage in October 2019, there were no female therapists available. Instead, she found a male therapist whose profile had hundreds of positive reviews—mostly five stars.
"In my head I thought it was a safe bet, with someone who was obviously trusted by a lot of people and trusted by the app," he told the BBC.
But soon during the massage she felt something was wrong. "When you have a professional masseuse, you don't feel like any part of your body is already exposed," she said. “This man literally pulled a towel over my lower body.
Taylor said the massage therapist began touching her in her private areas without her consent before committing a serious sexual assault. She said she was "frozen", afraid of what else he might do to her if she answered. When he finally manages to tell her to stop, he says he doesn't care about her.
He broke down in tears
"As soon as he was out of the apartment, I literally collapsed in the hallway alone in tears, closed the door and went inside." Taylor reported the incident to Urban and the police - who later dropped the investigation due to a lack of evidence. Urban told Taylor to immediately remove the man from the platform, but said he discovered two weeks later that his profile was still available.
Although Taylor said the technical glitch would be fixed "soon", BBC News found that his profile was still visible on the platform, three years after the incident. Since BBC News contacted Urban about it, he has been completely removed.
Urban said that even though her profile was visible, customers have not been able to book her on the app since Taylor's complaint.
It comes after another former Urban masseur, Cosmin Tudoache, was jailed for five years last year for raping a woman who booked his service on the app. Urban told us that therapists have to undergo rigorous assessment - including a DBS check introduced in 2019 - and stressed that only a small proportion of their bookings lead to a complaint. The company said it takes all complaints seriously and investigates them.
However, Yvonne Blake, vice-chair of the General Council for Massage Therapies - the body representing professional associations - told the BBC that under current rules, "absolutely anyone" can start massage therapy 강남오피 without checks.
Ms Blake, who has been called as an expert witness in sexual assault cases involving massage therapists, added: “Anyone can write a qualification.
At-home massages have become more popular, but the BBC has heard from dozens of women who have been sexually assaulted by massage therapists in their own homes. Experts are now calling for the government to introduce stricter regulation in a sector that has little oversight.
The BBC contacted various government departments, including those covering health and business, about the regulation of the sector, but we were met with confusion over who had responsibility in this area. A government spokesman told the BBC: "Sexual offenses are horrific crimes and we urge victims to explore the free support and advice on offer. license if they feel unsafe."
But Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the women and equalities committee, told the BBC the government must act. "You're putting people in an incredibly vulnerable position with almost no clothing — if you're some kind of predator, it's a great occupation. I think it's really important to have a lot of understanding across government."
Urban says he would welcome more regulation of the massage industry.
But for Taylor, the lasting effect was devastating. "It's something I can't get over," he said. "It changed me forever and gave me great baggage and weight on my shoulders, I didn't see myself disappearing." READ MORE
File 4 - Attacked by my Massage Therapist is on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday 12 July at 8pm and Sunday 17 July at 5pm and on demand on BBC Sounds.
If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, the BBC Action Line has a list of organizations that can help.
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