WA Police are investigating allegations that a bouncer at a Perth concert requested a teenage girl bare her breasts before he allowed her to return to a The Amity Affliction gig on Friday night.
Fairfax Media has learnt the Licensing Enforcement Division is making inquiries into the incident involving a female who had taken a pass-out of the concert at Red Hill Auditorium - in Perth's eastern suburbs - and demands by a bouncer that she flash her breasts before she was re-admitted.
Witness Bart Primrose said he had been picking up friends from the venue towards the end of the concert when he heard a bouncer ask the girl to show her breasts.
Mr Primrose said he was stunned by the security officer's inappropriate request.
"I heard him say to her: 'You know what to do' and he like nods at her chest basically asking her to show us your boobs. She protests and he says it again and she lifts her top up and shows him her breasts," he told 6PR Radio on Wednesday morning.
Shocked, Mr Primrose grabbed his mobile phone and started to film the interaction as the bouncer made the girl flash her breasts a second time.
He said another bouncer then attempted to block him, in a bid to stop him from filming the exchange.
Mr Primrose said he was disgusted at the incident and had contacted Red Hill Auditorium, promoter Triple J and posted messages on Facebook calling for the girl to contact him if she wanted to file a police report.
He urged to woman to contact police, saying he would act as a witness if she wanted to press charges.
On Wednesday afternoon, a second man – Jason Byway – came forward on Facebook supporting Mr Primrose's version of events.
Mr Byway wrote on Facebook: "Was this just before 11pm? If so, then I was standing out the front under an umbrella picking up my gf (girlfriend). I too saw a girl flashing her breasts but didn't really think much of it other than someone getting a bit excited".
Ace Security and Event Services, the company that provided bouncers on the night, said the incident was deeply regretable and apologised to the woman and Red Hill Auditorium management. A full investigation would be undertaken and action taken.
"The management of Ace Security and Event Services deeply regrets the incident that occurred where it is alleged that a security guard engaged by Ace Security made an inappropriate suggestion to a member of the public at an event at the Red Hill Auditorium," a statement issued on Wednesday said.
"The guard in question has been engaged by us on many occasions and has always operated in a professional manner. We set very high standards for our guards to follow and our clients would attest to this.
"In the meantime, on behalf of Ace Security we would like to offer our sincere apologies to both the person in question and to the Management of Red Hill Auditorium for any distress or embarrassment experienced due to this alleged incident."
Red Hill Auditorium manager Marcus Sarich said he first became aware of the alleged incident on Wednesday morning when Mr Primrose aired his concerns on 6PR Radio.
He said he had unsuccessfully tried to contact Mr Primrose several times to discuss the matter and had convened an urgent meeting for this afternoon with the Ace Security bouncers who worked on Friday night.
"While we are looking into it obviously very seriously, but the footage you can't see anything and the girl involved hasn't come forward, so it's really just the guy's commentary," Mr Sarich said.
"What [Mr Primrose] is saying may have happened, but it also might have been that they suspected she had a hipflask on her belt and got her to lift her shirt waist-high. We don't know yet. We are trying to get to the bottom of it.
"We don't know yet exactly what happened...We just want it resolved."
The Amity Affliction's management, We Are Unified, released a statement on Wednesday afternoon about the incident.
"The Amity Affliction are shocked and appalled by these allegations and have always promoted an inclusive and safe environment for their fans for the 10 years they have been performing together," it said.
"We have been assured by the promoter that investigating the alleged incident is of the highest priority and they will make a further statement after completing this investigation.
"We will not make any further comment until we have received a report from the promoter."
