Woman speaks out over 'degrading' sexual content at Halloween scare park: 'I'm worried about survivors of trauma'

Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.

A woman who says her experience at the adults-only section of a Halloween-themed park felt like a 'simulation of sexual assault, sexual degradation and sexual violation' has called for renewed scrutiny of immersive horror experiences.

Robyn Doughty, 33, a Liverpool tattoo artist, visited Newsham Scream Park's adults-only Hellfire Club in Merseyside on 15 October. She'd visited the park's annual October attraction twice before, but had only ever experienced 'laughter - a silly time', she tells us.

The Hellfire Club is an optional, 18+ offshoot of the long-running amusement park, centred around the theme of a sinister secret society. It involves guests being directed through a maze of dimly-lit rooms, where they're confronted by costume-clad actors whose job it is to mildly spook them.

In three videos shared to Instagram last week, however, Robyn alleged she and her friends were subjected to graphic sexual simulations while making their way through the attraction, and endured unwanted physical contact.

She also claimed the group were spoken to using highly misogynistic language.

Her allegations have since raised questions about consent, the treatment of women in horror entertainment, and whether visitors receive sufficient information about the content and physical interactions they may encounter at these parks.

"I don't think these attractions are safe for women at all, especially young women," she tells Tyla. "What we went through was so specific. It doesn’t belong anywhere near a Halloween scare park."

'I did not consent to that - neither did my friends'

While waiting in the queue for the 18+ zone - which she had to purchase extra tickets for - Robyn says she and her friends did not observe any signs warning attendees what the experience would entail.

There is no mention of the Hellfire Club on the homepage of Newsham Scream Park's website - although it does contain a disclaimer, and in the terms and conditions section, it goes into detail about what to expect inside.

"This is an intense, adults-only, physically interactive horror experience designed to create fear, discomfort, uncertainty and sensory overload," the T&Cs read. "Expect physical contact, darkness, loud noises, adult content and horror and religious themes."

Robyn and her friends signed a waiver before entering the experience, having been handed a QR code by a member of staff, but she maintains that it did not explicitly describe the sexual simulations she experienced.

A screenshot of a portion of the waiver seen by Tyla promises, 'this experience does not involve sexual activity'.

Robyn admits that she and her group only briefly looked over the waiver before entering the Hellfire Club.

"The setting you’re in, I don’t think many people would have read that properly anyway," she explains. "I have a sister that's about to turn 18 - there's no chance she'd have felt any need to read those terms and conditions at a location known to be as lighthearted as a scream park."

Of her own experience, Robyn insists she 'did not consent' to what she experienced, adding, 'neither did my friends'.

'Not everyone is going to read that waiver'

"Where is the choice?" she asks. "People should be able to make a decision. Not everyone is going to read that waiver."

Expecting a supervised horror experience, instead, in the first room, a performer wearing a latex outfit and a breast pump allegedly instructed the group to open their mouths before pouring liquid from a baby bottle into them.

A consent form does ask people if they have allergies, and the ingredients used in one of the experiences are listed on the website.

Describing a second room, in which she and her friends were blindfolded, Robyn claimed a pair of actors proceeded to 'surround and hump us'.

"You can feel this long shaft rubbing up against the side of you, on your shoulder, and they’re making sexual noises," she recalls.

Another section reportedly saw a man in a church confessional booth instructing people to kneel before him, including the use of suggestive language.

In the final room, Robyn and her friends were each guided to a bed, where hoods were placed over their heads and actors took their hands, rubbed them on their bodies and into other props meant to simulate orifices.

"Anyone who has ever been assaulted, or forced to act in this way, this would absolutely trigger so much within them — victims of child abuse, for example," points out Robyn.

She also raises concerns about the messages that young male visitors and performers might take from the attraction’s use of derogatory language and sexualised interactions with female guests.

"The script being used is geared towards intimidating women," Robyn adds, noting that several misogynistic terms were used by a number of actors.

"[It makes] women the brunt of the joke. We're moving into a territory that implies this type of behaviour is 'not a big deal', which is a problem."

Police are 'aware of allegations'

Robyn also tells Tyla that Merseyside Police contacted her in the days following her visit to Newsham to seek a statement after obtaining CCTV footage from the park.

Merseyside Police told Tyla in a statement: "We are aware of allegations relating to a Halloween-themed event at Newsham Park.

"Officers have contacted a woman after allegations were made online about an incident on Thursday 15 October and further enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances."

After Tyla reached out to Newsham Scream Park, a spokesperson for the facility told us the Hellfire Club is an 'optional, adults-only immersive horror attraction designed to deliver an intense experience'.

Newsham Scream Park spokesperson speaks out

They continued: "It is clearly identified as an 18+ attraction, with ID required for anyone under the age of 21. All guests must complete a digital waiver before entering, and there is CCTV in place covering the entirety of this attraction and the full event to protect all participating guests and actors.

"Guest welfare is a priority throughout the attraction and our terms and conditions, which must be agreed to before entering the attraction, outline the nature of the experience, including its adult and horror themes, physical interaction and sensory effects."

Newsham also told us the T&Cs 'highlight that some elements may cause distress, identify circumstances in which the attraction may not be suitable, and explain that guests can end their participation immediately, at any time, using the safe word provided without explanation'.

Newsham Scream Park does list a 'safe word' that people can use in the experience.

They added: "The extensive CCTV coverage is constantly monitored, and the entire team is always in contact via radio, with production in all attractions and immediately halting any of the attractions if there are any issues.

"The Hellfire Club is designed to be immersive and for an adult-only audience. We encourage all guests to read the information provided and carefully consider whether the experience is right for them before choosing to enter."

The park's representative also emphasised that guests 'who decide that the experience is not suitable for them after reading the T&Cs' are welcome to 'decline entry and receive a refund'.

Lastly, they insisted the park wouldn't be commenting further on Robyn's allegations, and were 'assisting the police'.

For Robyn, however, the issue goes far beyond one night at a Halloween park.

'It's a bigger picture'

She wants the industry to take a closer look at how performers are vetted and trained, how guests are informed about potentially distressing content, and what safeguards are in place when an experience involves physical contact.

"More immediately, there needs to be signs put up outside of the events that are more explicit about the graphic, sexual nature of the attraction," she urges. "People need to know they will be touched and forced to interact in a sexual way."

Lastly, Robyn told us: "I've got thick skin, but I’m shocked and appalled for other people who might harness some trauma. It’s a bigger picture."