Cardiff Uni Banter, the now national story that was reported on BBC News' Wales Today Programme on the 9th October, has seemed to fade in student memory, since the new (old) owner apologised - but is it really the end?
On the 15th October a mystery Masters’ student who claimed to be the original Cardiff uni banter owner came out with an apology. The account published a statement of apology on Instagram consisting of ten slides containing apologies and an explanation for the publishing of rape confessions and sexually offensive confessions which has caused controversy in recent weeks. The account first published an apology to “anyone who has been hurt, upset or negatively affected” by the content that was “shared” on this account.
The supposed "original owner” of the Instagram account explains how they started the account and have since graduated from undergraduate studies and are now “pursuing a masters degree”. They said that since the page started gaining traction they brought in “several people to help manage the account” which resulted in them “losing access to the account when the new individuals took over its administration”. Since the recent controversy, the original account owner was made aware by friends what had been posted and managed to “regain access” to the account and “change the login details, update the email and remove the previous administration”. The original account owner claims that it is now “back under my control”.
The statement takes accountability for the situation, saying “regardless of the intention behind a post, its impact on the people who encounter it matters.” The statement also shares the account’s plans for the future, which include bringing in a “small group of trusted individuals to help manage the page.” With their priority to “establish a more responsible approach to moderation […] as well as reconsidering how this platform approaches awareness.” The account says that in the future instead of sharing experiences of sexual assault they want to focus on “sharing useful information, highlight specialist organisations and help people access appropriate support services. The account finalises the post reiterating their apology to “everyone who has been hurt, or negatively affected by this account, I apologise.”
While this statement was posted on the original Cardiff uni banter instagram page, Gair Rhydd has been unable to verify the identity of the account holder, or verify the claims made in the post. But is this the end of the story? Whilst anger over the situation seems to have calmed on campus with the release of the statement of apology, is all forgiven? Plain answer: not entirely. The account's comment section was filled with comments such as “Nice way to crawl out of it isn’t it” and “Took your time”. The online chatter seems to have stilled but student groups like Time To Act are still arguing that accountability hasn’t been taken as the ‘Cardiff Uni Banter’ account has still blocked people who have challenged them. The main chapter of the controversy may have closed, however one question remains: will we ever find out their identity?
If you have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this article, please contact Rape Crisis England & Wales for free and confidential advice on 0808 500 2222, or use Cardiff University’s Report and Support system to report sexual violence on campus.