Uni abuse claim
Student alleges she was assaulted when personal relationship turned violent
A Victoria University lecturer is under investigation amid allegations of a relationship with his student that turned violent
The student says she was left with multiple bruises after the lecturer assaulted her while on a university-funded trip
The alleged assault occurred while she was in an ‘intimate personal and domestic relationship’ with him, documents reveal
She was a student in his class — and believes there was a power imbalance:
‘I just regret being in the relationship’, she says today
The university has confirmed an external investigator is probing her complaint, including whether the lecturer may have breached staff conduct rules
The lecturer’s lawyer says: ‘Any allegations of wrongdoing have been denied’
AVictoria University of Wellington lecturer is under investigation over allegations of a relationship with his student which turned violent.
The university has confirmed it is investigating a formal complaint over the alleged relationship — and the student’s accusations that the lecturer assaulted her, leaving her with multiple bruises. In internal university documents obtained by the Herald on Sunday, it is alleged the lecturer pursued an intimate relationship with the student.
“She was a student enrolled in the course of which [the staff member] was a lecturer and prior to the conclusion of the course [he] entered into an intimate personal and domestic relationship and failed to disclose that relationship to the head of school,” the document says.
The pair’s identity cannot be revealed for legal reasons.
The student told the Herald on Sunday her relationship with her then-lecturer began last year. Earlier this year, she accompanied the man on a university-funded trip.
During that trip, on or around January 13, she alleges the lecturer physically assaulted her — leaving her with bruising to parts of her body.
She says she did not report it to police but complained to the university because she felt more comfortable with that approach.
In a separate altercation, police charged the woman with common assault and behaving threateningly after an incident in his home. She pleaded guilty and was discharged without conviction.
The woman said in her view there was a power imbalance since the start of the relationship. She believed him taking her to court was a way of showing he had power over her.
When asked if she regretted what she had done, the student said: “I just regret being in a relationship with [the lecturer].”
In an email to the Herald on Sunday, lawyers acting for the lecturer said “any allegations of wrongdoing have been denied”.
A Victoria University spokeswoman confirmed it was following “established processes and procedures” in its response to the student’s complaint.
“A formal complaint is being carried out into those aspects of the complaint which are within the university’s jurisdiction to inquire into and determine,” she said.
“The investigation is being conducted by an investigator external to the university, in accordance with terms of reference which were consulted on with parties to the complaint prior to being finalised.”
The investigation was ongoing, she said. The student was “receiving ongoing pastoral care and support from the university”.
Lawyer for the staff member Calum Cartwright said that as the investigations were ongoing, the lecturer “does not wish to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation at this stage”.
The scope of the university’s investigation will look into the student’s allegations and make “factual findings” on whether the incidents occurred as she said.
It will also investigate the conduct and behaviour of the lecturer, and whether this gives rise to any concerns that he had acted contrary to the university’s values or if he had breached its staff conduct policy.