Miss England finalist attacked on night out launches task force to protect women
A model who was attacked when she went to McDonald’s after a night out has launched a charity to protect other young women.
Corel-Jo Antwhistle was assaulted a week before Christmas, but she was determined not to let the incident negatively affect her and two months later she’d set up the charity.
Now a task force of 15 volunteers help young women on nights out by carrying water, phone chargers, and helping them reunite with lost friends.
Corel-Jo, 22, is the reigning Miss Newcastle and has reached the semi-finals of this year’s Miss England competition.
She models as a hobby alongside her job as deputy general manager at a women’s refuge, as well as now running the Think Us night out taskforce in Newcastle city centre.
Corel-Jo, of Hexham in Northumberland, said: ‘I was attacked one week before Christmas in Newcastle. I was with my friend who I hadn’t seen for six months.
‘When we left the China White nightclub these two men approached us while we were stood outside the club.
‘I hadn’t really been drinking, I had probably three or four drinks.
‘They came up to us and we decided to walk around the corner to go to the McDonalds.
‘Someone comes up and kicks me from behind on the back of the leg in the McDonalds, with such a force it jolts us forward.
‘It was the guy that was pestering us. I went to the security guard but he just looked at me with a blank stare, he didn’t do anything.
‘I hear the bloke who kicked me say something like “snitch”. As I turn around he whacks me in the face and splits my lip. I didn’t know what to say.
‘He tried to grab my phone from me. I held the phone for dear life. He had his hood up the whole time.
‘I was wearing acrylic nails and he started bending back my nails to get my phone.
‘My nails start lifting and bleeding and I had to let my phone go as my nails were going to be ripped up.
‘As we’re calling the police he comes back and picks up his order. He came in and stood next to me.
‘I was in utter shock.
‘The police officer on the night asked if it was a flirty kick. She asked if it was him flirting.
‘The whole thing had a ripple effect. It just affects the way you enjoy time with your friends.
‘I used to be extremely social and loved spending time with my friends but it changed the way I view my free time.
‘That’s when I thought I could try and turn it into a positive to help other women on nights out in and around Newcastle.
‘The modelling is only really a hobby for me but by using that platform I am hoping to help others.’
Corel-Jo and her Think Us team go out on weekends around Newcastle’s busiest areas. They also have two ambulances on standby to support them.
She said the group aims to be ‘everywhere’ so young women don’t have to ‘chase us down’ and can get out of ‘dangerous situations’.
A spokesman for Northumberland Police said: ‘An investigation is ongoing following a report of theft and assault on Grainger Street in Newcastle in the early hours of December 18 last year.
‘A 28-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and remains on police bail.’
The spokesman added the force had not received a complaint in relation to Corel-Jo allegedly being asked if it was a ‘flirty kick’.
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