Police investigating alleged sexual assaults on St. Francis Xavier campus

Police in Nova Scotia say two men have been arrested after two women were allegedly sexually assaulted on a university campus.

Two men were arrested on Wednesday after an 18-year-old woman alleged she was sexually assaulted on the campus of St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish the previous weekend, according to RCMP.

Police said in a statement that a second 19-year-old woman came forward during the investigation and alleged that one of the suspects had sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions once in September and once in November.

They said a 19-year-old man has been charged with three counts of sexual assault, and charges against an 18-year-old man are pending.

Both men have been released from police custody on conditions and are scheduled to appear in Antigonish provincial court in January. Police said the investigations are ongoing.

St. Francis Xavier University Vice-President Andrew Beckett said the university is conducting its own investigation into the allegations.

Beckett said the four individuals involved are students at the school. None of them have been identified by university officials or police.

One of the suspects has been suspended from the school, Beckett said, and the other is allowed on campus only to attend classes.

Beckett said the 18-year-old woman came forward to the university about last weekend’s alleged assault last Sunday, and decided to report the incident to the RCMP later in the week.

The incident is alleged to have occurred at a university residence, Beckett said.