UNI SEX ATTACKS EVERY 12 HOURS’
Probe reveals 2,000 in 3 years
A FEMALE university student reports being raped or sexually assaulted every 12 hours, new figures suggest.
A Sunday People survey found there had been 2,000 abuse claims in three years – almost two a day.
In the vast majority of cases, male students are the prime suspects.
Our research revealed that some male students avoided being kicked out after taking part in a consent training course or signing a good conduct agreement.
And some universities stopped victims from speaking out by making them sign nondisclosure papers.
Higher Education Minister Michelle Donelan told how she is pushing for tough new measures that could see universities fined up to £500,000 and even risk losing their degree-awarding powers for failing to properly tackle sexual misconduct.
She said: “Sexual assault is an abhorrent crime and I am on a mission to stamp it out on university campuses.
“This Government is the first to tackle the use of non-disclosure agreements by universities to silence victims and
I’m proud that more than 60 institutions have signed my pledge committing to end this shabby practice.”
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said: “Universities aren’t coming down hard enough on
violent predators who walk freely on campuses. Wholesale changes are needed.” Two-thirds of British unis received 1,298 abuse claims – including 178 rapes – in three years.
The remaining third of universities failed to respond to our Freedom of Information request but would give an estimated total of around 2,000.
We asked for details of rape and sexual assault allegations made to university authorities. It is not known how many were passed to police.
The highest number of claims were at Sheffield University, which recorded 205.
Loughborough was next with 108, while Robert Green in Aberdeen saw 64 and Bath Spa had 63 claims.
The University of Central Lancashire disclosed 22 assaults on female students in the last three years, 10 of which were categorised as rape. Seven male students were expelled or left but others stayed after signing a “no contact” agreement.
The Everyone’s Invited campaign, which sparked thousands of testimonies of campus abuse, said: “There is an urgent need for a centralised system for reporting, logging incidents and dealing with accusations of assault.” The umbrella group Universities UK said: “Universities take all reports of harassment, violence or abuse very seriously and are committed to becoming safer places.”
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