Páll Scheving Ingvarsson – the director of the Merchants’ Holiday Festival in the Westman Islands, who famously stated that he did not want rape crisis prevention groups at the event – told reporters that he is considering taking extra security measures after six rapes were reported at last weekend’s festival.
As reported, last spring Páll publicly contended that rape crisis prevention centre Stígamót looks for trouble, creating more problems than they solve, and that if Stígamót wanted to come to the festival, they could pay their way in.
In response, Þórunn Þórarinsdóttir, a councillor at Stígamót, said, “This is like saying that when a doctor is on the scene, there are more accidents, and that the doctor somehow causes people to be hurt.”
Páll maintained this position, refusing to invite both Stígamót or Nei-hópurinn, a group with more focus on educating men. The festival went ahead as planned, and in the end, six rapes were reported at the festival.
Páll now says that he is considering putting up security cameras around the festival area next year, and that both Stígamót and Nei-hópurinn could possibly be invited to attend as well.
He expressed his sympathies for the victims of the attacks, but has not been happy with the attention the rapes have created, either, telling reporters that he wants to emphasise the good points about the festival; that for the most, people had a good time and there were no serious injuries. Apart from the rapes.
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