Fifty women come forward saying they were pressured into swinging
BBC News 2026-07-24 05:01:19
Context: Fifty women have come forward alleging they were pressured or coerced by their partners into participating in swinging, a practice that involves couples exchanging partners for sex. Many of these women reported experiencing long-lasting trauma and said they had sex against their will, either due to fear of consequences or to keep their partners happy. The women claim that the website FabSwingers, which has over half a million active monthly accounts in the UK, facilitated these abusive situations.
Key Facts
- Fifty women have spoken out saying they were pushed or coerced by their partners into swinging, with many reporting deep, long-lasting trauma and saying they had sex despite not wanting to.
- Six women told BBC News they had been raped by men met through the FabSwingers website, with one woman saying her partner had forced her to have sex with more than 90 men through the site.
- Sixteen women reported that intimate photos of them had been uploaded to the FabSwingers website without their permission, and sixteen users told the BBC they had reported alleged abuse or the posting of intimate images on FabSwingers to the police.
- The women who came forward reported that their experiences with swinging were often arranged via the FabSwingers website, which claims to have moderation policies in place but says it is not "responsible for private off-platform conduct between adults".
- Labour MP Jess Phillips, the former minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, believes FabSwingers "should be shut down" and that police should recognise coercion or pressure to take part in swinging as a form of adult sexual exploitation.