Homeless Glasgow teenager put in hostel dorm 'full of men'
It is understood she was put in the hostel with mixed sex dorms as there were no available hotel vacancies due to events taking place in the city.
The Glasgow Times has highlighted the plight of women trying to secure suitable emergency accommodation, and the lack of female only hotel and B&B space in the city.
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(Image: Newsquest)
The 19-year-old woman was homeless and had been relying on friends letting her stay over before she went to the council to ask for help.
She was given a bed in a hostel but when she entered the room, she was shocked.
Speaking to the Glasgow Times, she said: 'I was so frightened. I have been through grooming and have been sexually assaulted before.
'I didn't know what to do. I asked my friend to phone to get me out.
'I was told they couldn't move me out and couldn't move me to a room on my own.'
The frightened teenager wrestled with the dilemma of having nowhere to go but knowing she couldn't stay in the dorm.
She said: 'I went out the front and sat outside crying.
'People were staring at me, so I went back in and sat on the bed. The room was empty now, apart from one man.
'I couldn't stay there, so I got my things together and ran.
'I can't believe they put a 19-year-old woman in there with men.
'I was told they were full everywhere else.'
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The council has apologised for any distress and has reviewed the case.
For around a week, she had to rely on friends willing to put her up for a night here and there and had to travel as far as Greenock and East Kilbride.
She said: 'I have no money to my name' and added friends had been helping with food.
The young woman also has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), learning difficulties, and anxiety and depression.
With the help of Govan Law Centre, she has since been moved to a single room in a hotel.
A spokesperson for Govan Law Centre, said: 'The woman described the fear she experienced entering the hostel accommodation.
'Not only was she placed in mixed-sex accommodation, she was advised that she would require to share a mixed-bed dormitory.
'She advised that she went to the room she was allocated and it was 'full of men' and she felt 'terrified' by the experience. She describes being offered a top bunk bed to sleep on.
'She asked to switch to a single room and this request was refused. In the end, she had no choice but to leave the temporary accommodation that night.
'This heavily impacted our client's mental health, given her experiences of trauma, and required her to seek help from others in order to avoid rough sleeping that night.
'It is deeply concerning that the local authority did not appear to have any safeguarding measures in place or undertake any risk assessment regarding the placement and the potential harm this could have caused our, already vulnerable client.'
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: 'The council faces extreme challenges in relation to demand for emergency accommodation for homelessness households and as soon as we were aware of the unsuitability of the accommodation, alternative accommodation was arranged.
"This case has been reviewed to ensure appropriate future safeguards are in place. We are very sorry for any distress this has caused.'
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