Student: I was victim of campus sex attack – but university staff tried to blame ME
Undergraduate, 21, tells of ordeal as 37,000 sign petition
A STUDENT who claims to have been sexually assaulted at a university halls of residence has accused bosses of victim blaming and ‘neglect’.
Aarti Mukhedkar, 21, alleged no action was taken against her assailant, despite reporting the assault to the University of Edinburgh in February last year.
In a petition signed by more than 37,000 people, the third year social anthropology student insisted university investigators had originally classified the incident as ‘severe’.
She says she was told not to contact police and that her complaint would be dealt with thoroughly by the university. But she claims staff then tried to ‘victim blame’ her over the attack at the end of 2020.
Miss Mukhedkar is now demanding a change to the system of redress and accused university chiefs of turning a ‘blind eye’ to sexual violence. She said: ‘In a veiled attempt to “help” me, the university proceeded to victim blame, gaslight
‘Sugar-coated to keep me in the dark’
and corner me further. All of this was sugar-coated, to keep me in the dark, for a very long time.’
She added that her complaint was ‘arbitrarily dismissed’ despite the findings of assault because ‘the allegations against the respondent could not be proven on the balance of probabilities’.
She said: ‘He has faced zero consequences and remains on campus, so I am not protected. At first I celebrated because I was told I had won and there was nothing to worry about.’
Miss Mukhedkar claimed she then sought legal counsel to file an appeal but was told that this is only available to the accused and not the victim.
She added in the petition: ‘The system of redress of these crimes is unfair, opaque and hugely stacked in favour of the accused. The university has traumatised me and continues to traumatise all survivors that reach out.’
In December last year, a separate incident saw Miss Mukhedkar allegedly stalked and sexually harassed while walking home from the library.
She said her experience with the university meant she felt unable to report it and instead went to the police.
She added: ‘When I reported my assault to the university they told me not to go to the police. They said if I went through the university they would support me throughout.
‘But to be honest, I was more comfortable talking to the police. They were really kind in terms of the investigation, although I know this is not everyone’s experience. They eventually identified him and sent him off with a warning.’
Police confirmed they received a report of a man following a woman on December 1, but no criminality was established.
The international student, originally from Bangalore, India, is now seeking a formal apology from the university for the ‘injustice and wrong-doing’ survivors have suffered.
She is also seeking a legal review of the systems and committees used to determine the outcome of sexual misconduct cases, as well as empathy training and greater precautionary measures to protect survivors from their alleged attackers.
Her petition came days after it was revealed there have been almost 400 reports of sex attacks at Scottish universities in the past five years.
The University of Edinburgh recorded the highest number, with 78 reports since the academic year 2016-17.
Debora Kayembe, rector at the university, has given her full support to the campaign and set up meetings with everyone involved in Miss Mukhedkar’s case.
She said: ‘I met with Aarti and was astonished by what I heard. I am terribly sorry for what happened but I want the university to apologise to all the victims because there are so many.
‘It is not the first petition I came across from an international student. The system is highly discriminatory.’
A University of Edinburgh spokesman said: ‘The university does not tolerate sexual violence and takes such reports very seriously.’