A Hard Day’s Fight

The details of a violent attack at Churchill Springball last Friday have emerged.

Third year Churchill aeronautical engineer, Christian Rohr, described how he remembers “being struck once very hard on the head and subsequently punched in the head until briefly losing consciousness.”

The incident occurred after he was caught tapping off outside the ‘Carnaby Street’ Dining Hall with a first year girl by a first year male student, known around college as Paul.

He has not been named by The Tab as it may prejudice the ongoing enquiry.

The Springball, which received a positive review from The Tab, offered guests unlimited alcohol for its £75 ticket price.

The violence against Rohr began when the attacker demanded to know what Rohr was doing with the girl and after hearing he was “kissing her” the first year violently lashed out.

Rohr, in an interview for The Tab, revealed that though he thought the attacker and his beau “may have fooled around earlier in the year, the girl definitely said she was single”.

Other guests managed to restrain the attacker before he scarpered. He was found by security around an hour later.

Rohr suffered a 2-3cm head wound and was taken to Addenbrooke’s that night where the gash was glued up.

“I was shocked to see the quantity of blood issuing from my head and was in considerable pain…. I was pretty dazed and worried”

The attacker told Rohr and the Porters at the time that he had used a bottle as a weapon, but has since withdrawn the statement.

However, the medics who treated Rohr told him that for such a serious injury to have been sustained, a weapon must have been used against him.

Tom Wilson, a second year Mathmo exclusively told The Tab: “My friends definitely saw the attacker use a bottle against Christian”.

Accordingly, Rohr has since requested “an appropriate response by the College for this assault”

“I feel unsafe around this individual. I do not believe that such inexcusable behaviour is fitting for a student at the University of Cambridge.”

Rohr was reluctant to assert whether he is considering pressing charges against the attacker, claiming he intends to “leave the matter in college hands”.

The attacker has since apologized claiming he just wanted to talk to the girl about “something that was on his mind” but reacted badly when Rohr pushed him, taking it as “an insult to [his] pride“.

He accepts that he acted irrationally, and under the influence of alcohol. He has since apologised to Rohr, and will meet with Richard Partington, the SCR member allotted to deal with the incident, next week to discuss his punishment.

Partington has been known in the past to be strict, recently enforcing an alcohol limit of just two glasses at formal hall. Although the ban was eventually lifted after rallying from the JCR and formal attendees allowed half a bottle, he is known around college as “ruling with an iron fist”.

One Churchillite, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed “I feel sorry for the fresher, he’s going to get the book thrown at him. Partington has been looking for an excuse to cut down on binge drinking in college, first formal and now this.

“We all reckon he’ll get chucked out.”

The attack was just one of a number of scuffles reported at the ball.

Stephanie Tatton, a worker on an outside bar serving VKs, said “the ball certainly boasted more alcohol than class.

“I was working the second half and by that point people were vomming everywhere and trying to nick spirits from us. I saw about 4 fights and loads more drunkards who got pretty rowdy when we ran out of vodka.

“Our supervisor even told us to try and fight off any thieves”

Chris Campbell, Co-President of the Ball, was quick to defend the Springball, claiming the rowdiness was a result of the event’s “unpretentious” atmosphere.

However, he did admit “The last hour of the ball involved a lot of vomit clearing up for the Committee and The Cambridge Red Cross was kept fairly busy… this is the nature of a ball which supplies unlimited alcohol included in the ticket.”

In defence of the ball, Rohr agreed and was adamant that the attack “could have happened at any college”.

Whether the college sees it like that is questionable, with rumours circulating around Churchill that the college is considering removing permission for next year’s ball.