London club Heaven closed after security guard charged with rape

WARNING: This article includes accounts of sexual violence which may be distressing for some readers.

London nightclub Heaven has been closed after one of its security staff was charged with rape.

The licence of the historic venue has been suspended for up to 28 days after a member of security staff was charged with rape. He is currently on remand in prison, reports The Guardian.

The police successfully applied to Westminster Council to suspend the nightclub's licence pending a full hearing. The licencing committee heard that a woman was allegedly raped in the vicinity of the venue in the early hours of November 1, and other staff then allegedly ignored her efforts to report the attack.

“Following a request from the Metropolitan police, and considering evidence from both the police and the operator, the council’s licensing committee has decided to suspend Heaven’s licence for 28 days," a Westminster Council spokesperson said.

The spokesperson continued: “This follows a report of an alleged rape made to police on Friday 1 November.

“A full licensing hearing will be held in December where both the police and venue management will have the opportunity to present new evidence. This case is currently subject of an ongoing police investigation and we are unable to comment further at this stage.”

Heaven owner Jeremy Joseph wrote in a statement on Instagram that the venue is "sickened" by the allegation, adding that they can't comment further due to the ongoing criminal investigation.

"Our priority is to put new procedures in place to make sure nothing like this can happen again & gain the confidence of the Council as we move forward," he concluded.

Read the full statement by the Metropolitan Police below:

[Via The Guardian]

Niamh Ingram is Mixmag's Weekend Editor