University in secrecy row over results of sexual abuse survey
UNIVERSITY bosses have been accused of burying potentially damaging details of a study into sexual violence and abuse on campus.
A student group at Aberdeen University undertook the survey after the suicide of a teenage undergraduate.
Emily Drouet took her own life in 2016 after being abused and assaulted by her boyfriend Angus Milligan.
Following the 18-year-old’s tragic death more than 1,500 students and staff were surveyed on their experiences of sexual harassment and violence at the university.
The results were passed to management, but the details of that study have been withheld from the public.
Miss Drouet’s mother Fiona yesterday condemned the lack of transparency and called for the details to be released to ensure greater student and staff safety.
Mrs Drouet, from Glasgow, said: ‘I am very saddened to see that there are still institutions reluctant to allow transparency of this information.
‘We must accept these issues are prevalent across our society and universities are not exempt from that. Indeed, given their demographics, they are at high risk of receiving such reports.
‘Too many female students are suffering the harmful effects of gender-based violence.
‘One in five young women receives unwanted behaviour in her first week at university, and these are very worrying statistics, especially given that there is under-reporting of issues.’
Student group Consent Awareness and Sexual Education (Case), which carried out the survey, has given the university until the end of the year to make the results public before doing so itself.
A Case spokesman said: ‘Due to our involvement in creating the survey Case has access to the raw data but it is not within our remit to publish the results.
‘We are frustrated and disappointed by the inaction of the university regarding the issue.
‘Although statistics may be looked upon unfavourably by university administration, without acknowledging that there is a problem, it cannot be uprooted.
‘Case is working hard to combat sexual violence and help students feel safe. However the impact could be far greater if the university acknowledged the evidential magnitude of the problem.’
Aberdeen North MP Kirsty Blackman also called for the results to be made public.
She said: ‘Our public institutions must be safe places where students and staff can study and work safely. I would urge the University of Aberdeen to be as transparent as possible in relation to these matters.’
Angus Milligan, 22, was expelled from the university after admitting physical and mental abuse of first-year law student Miss Drouet, whom he met in September 2015.
Within weeks the relationship turned violent and she was regularly attacked and verbally abused. Miss Drouet took her own life in March 2016.
In July last year, Milligan pleaded guilty at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to assaulting Miss Drouet, threatening her and sending indecent, obscene and menacing texts.
The psychology student admitted choking his girlfriend, pushing her and slapping her face eight days before her death.
Sheriff Malcolm Garden condemned Milligan’s ‘controlling and ultimately violent’ behaviour.
The University of Aberdeen said the findings of the survey, held in February, were with a working group. A spokesman added: ‘We are striving to eliminate and prevent gender-based violence by working to implement the Equally Safe in Higher Education toolkit.
‘A working group to tackle this has been established. The findings of the survey have already been presented to that working group and will be discussed further at its next meeting.
‘We are considering our next steps regards the findings of the survey and the toolkit.’
‘Too many women suffer harmful effects’