Sex attack hell isn’t just a scandal here.. it’s a terror stalking ALL our universities
Survivors’ site reveals claims against frat house
The Universityrsity of St Andrews’ US-S- style Alpha Epsilonon Pi fraternity houseuse is facing allegationsons of more than a dozenen attacks on women.
At least nine separate rape claims have been made, with many students speaking out on a social media survivors’ site.
Miss M, a former student at St Andrews who won a civil case against her campus attacker Stephen Coxen in 2018, said: “This is happening everywhere, not just St Andrews. “There needs to be an acceptance that sexual assault at universities is a huge problem.
“It is happening on every campus in Scotland and the UK.
“I am contacted by students all the time who have had really terrible experiences and have not always felt comfortable coming forward.
“My message to them is that support is out there and, even though some universities aren’t doing nearly enough,h, if you look for help you will find it.
“I am real ly proud of studentss coming forward and asking for change,e, because it takes a lot of courage.
“The support that I had fromm St Andrews was world class all throughh the court cases and beyond.
“I can only speak from my own n experience but young men need to understand what consent means and they need to respect women.”
Coxen raped Miss M after a night out in Fife in 2013.
He declared himself bankrupt last year after being ordered to pay her £ 80,000 when she pursued him in a civil case. The 26-year- old had previously faced a criminal trial but the case was found not proven.
Pol ice and St Andrews management have urged victims in the Alpha Epsilon Pi scandal to come forward and make formal complaints.
One female student has told how a boy put her to bed drunk after a frat party, but she then woke up to find him raping her.
Fiona Drouet , whose daughter Emily took her own life after a campaign of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of Angus Milligan at Aberdeen University, said: “Sadly, I am not surprised or shocked that this behaviour is happening in our universities. “Unfortunately, thithis is prevalent a cross all u universities a and in every p part of society. “We have to ch change attitudes so that men do no not see sex with a woman as the their right.
“We have see seen this in so ma many recent high- prof ile cases, and Emily had personal experience of this when she had to lock herself in her friend’s bedroom to escape when, at a party, a fellow student climbed into her bed and refused to leave until she had sex with him.
“Unti l attitudes change, no matter how many policies, women and girls wi l l continue to be subjected to rape and other abuse at the hands of entitled men.”
Fiona, who founded EmilyTest, a charity tackling gender-based violence, added: “We work closely with St Andrews University and we have been consistently impressed with how proactive they have been at implementing best practice and supporting their students.”
Alpha Epsilon Pi spokesman Jon
Pierce said: “We take this matter very seriously.
“Sexual assault or harassment of any kind is absolutely prohibited in Alpha Epsilon Pi.
“The international fraternity and the local chapter will fully cooperate with any investigations being conducted by the university or local police.”
Yvonne Stenhouse, community inspector for North East Fife, said: “We will continue to work with the university on this matter and any criminal complaints will be progressed accordingly.”
A spokeswoman for the University of St Andrews said: “We welcome the St Andrews Survivors account’s efforts to provide people of all genders a space to voice their experiences of sexual misconduct.”