‘Many sex attacks in colleges are not reported’

INCIDENTS of sexual assault on higher education campuses in Ireland are grossly under-reported, University of Limerick President Dr Des Fitzgerald has said.

The number of official complaints of sexual assault made every year “in no way reflects the reality or the frequency of sexual assault or harassment that students may have encountered” either at UL or any other campus, he said.

Dr Fitzgerald was commenting in the wake of a survey of college students showing high levels of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment.

Among the findings of the Sexual Experiences Survey were that up to one in three female students who responded had been subjected to sex involving force, or incapacitation due to alcohol or drugs.

While it was not a scientific survey involving a representative sample, 1,000 – or 29pc – of the women who responded reported such incidents, along with 28pc of non-binary students and 10pc of men.

Among the other issues that emerged was a low level of reporting of such incidents.

Prof Fitzgerald said UL was focused on continuing to provide a safe environment, and on putting supports in place to encourage victims of any discriminatory or abusive behaviour to make an official report.

Increase

He said it had led to “a small increase in reported cases but the number still does not reflect the reality and we will continue to do more to support our students in reporting any instance of any kind of discriminatory or abusive behaviour, including sexual assault or harassment”.

Dr Fitzgerald said: “Unfortunately, most victims of sexual assault or harassment do not wish to make official complaints and so it is difficult to get a full picture of the size of the problem on any Irish higher education campus.

“This is something we must and will change at UL and indeed should be encouraged at all universities.”

Among the measures in place or being implemented at UL is a sexual health and wellbeing policy, including a protocol for crisis situations, enhanced campus security, voluntary consent workshops and a report and support system to provide students with the means to anonymously report sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and all other unacceptable behaviour.