Unis must ‘do more’ to support victims of sex assault
UNIVERSITIES must do more to help the victims of sexual assault after a student was able to switch campuses while awaiting trial for rape, Nicola Sturgeon has been warned.
Medical student Daniel McFarlane – who was later convicted of two rapes and jailed for five years – was allowed to enrol at a different university following his arrest in 2020.
His victim Ellie Wilson, pictured, who waived her anonymity, has called for universities to be given comprehensive guidance on how to deal with sexual assault cases.
She said McFarlane’s case highlighted how students were endangered by her attacker being allowed to change universities.
McFarlane was able to resume his studies at the University of Edinburgh, despite having been suspended from his course at Glasgow.
Scottish Conservative higher education spokesman Pam Gosal, has now written to the First Minister, education secretary ShirleyAnne Somerville, higher education minister Jamie Hepburn and every Scottish university to express her concern at the ‘huge gaps’ in policies regarding sexual assaults.
She said: ‘The Scottish Government must work with universities and fast-track the immediate introduction of a comprehensive plan for dealing with sexual assault investigations.
‘The system must help survivors, not add further pain to their lives. It also must protect the public from dangerous criminals, not give sexual predators the chance to commit more offences.’
Miss Wilson, 25, said: ‘Universities cannot meaningfully claim they are committed to student safety if they let rapists on campus.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We will continue to work with the university and college sectors and their representatives through the Equally Safe in Colleges and Universities Core Leadership Group, in order to tackle Gender-Based Violence.’
A spokesman for Universities Scotland said: ‘As a sector, we are working with Ms Wilson and the Scottish Government to continuously review processes and explore what further action might be taken in the interests of student safety and wellbeing.’