Illegal 'Quarantine Raves' In Manchester Led To Rape, Stabbing, Overdose

Two large illegal raves took place across Greater Manchester in the U.K. this past weekend. Thousands attended the events, which led to serious incidents such as rape, stabbings and drug overdoses.

Last Saturday (June 13), two large raves took place in Carrington and Oldham in Manchester, with the Oldham rave attracting up to 4,000 people and the Carrington rave attracting 2,000 people at the peak of the event.

While these parties were going on, the Greater Manchester Police reported receiving a 60% surge in emergency calls, which rose from the expected 1,011 to 1,516 over the weekend.

"We are aware of two large raves that took place in Carrington and Oldham last night. These raves were illegal and I condemn them taking place — they were clearly a breach of coronavirus legislation and guidelines, and have had tragic consequences," Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes said in a statement.

The Carrington event, in particular, led to several unfortunate incidences, with three reported stabbings, assaults that left two men with injuries, the arrest of a 25-year-old on suspicion of carrying a weapon, and the rape of an 18-year-old woman who attended the event.

The officers who responded to the scene were met with violence, and a police car was vandalized.

At the Oldham event, on the other hand, no crimes were reported. However, a 20-year-old man died from a suspected drug overdose.

Footage of the Oldham rave shows the words "Quarantine Rave" above the DJ booth, and people not wearing masks packed closely together.

A reporter from the Manchester Evening News also tweeted a photo of trash-filled rave locations the morning after the events.

In response to the incidents, police reminded the public that the threat of the coronavirus is still present. In fact, the Manchester area has one of the highest coronavirus infection rates in the U.K., which also has one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the world.

"We hope the public can recognise the challenges we are facing at the moment and our communities join together in doing the right thing by following the government guidelines," Sykes said. "Coronavirus is still a threat and we will continue to engage with people to encourage them to take some personal responsibility and do the right thing."