Cambridge University 'actively discourages' students from reporting sex assaults to the police, victims say

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The University of Cambridge ‘actively discourages’ students from reporting sexual offences to the police, victims have claimed.

One student told how her college was ‘adamant’ it did not want police involvement after she informed them she had been sexually assaulted twice by the same person.

Another said she was dissuaded from involving police after someone at her college began a stalking campaign against her – and was then told she could not seek support from her college counsellor because the perpetrator was already seeing them.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary told MailOnline it ‘encourages’ all victims of sexual offences to report them, adding: ‘We’re here for you and we will look after you.’

Experts told Varsity that until six years ago, universities had no role in arbitrating or resolving allegations of sexual offences, but that they now run ‘quasi-judicial processes, for cases up to, and including, sex without consent.’

Rose Stephenson, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute: ‘If universities were investigating murder, we’d all think that was totally inappropriate. Yet we’re doing it for rape.’

The University of Cambridge has been accused of ‘actively discouraging’ students from reporting incidents of sexual assault to police

Victims are encouraged to report incidents of sexual assault to the University’s Office of Student Conduct, Complaints and Appeals (OSCCA), through either a formal or informal procedure, or alternatively through their college

It is understood that victims are encouraged to report incidents of sexual assault to the University’s Office of Student Conduct, Complaints and Appeals (OSCCA), through either a formal or informal procedure, or alternatively through their college, instead of reporting to police.

But investigations can take long periods of time which have left some victims feeling suicidal, and provide no formal justice.

An investigation by the university’s newspaper spoke to multiple women who have been victims of sexual offences or stalking.

Ella said she was sexually assaulted twice by her then-boyfriend while studying at Cambridge.

She made the college aware of her allegations but described staff as ‘very adamant’ that they did not want police involved and says they instead repeatedly promoted the university’s disciplinary body as offering a ‘cleaner, faster, smoother alternative’.

Ella said she felt she was then congratulated for choosing the more informal process.

According to students who have been through these informal investigations, the process facilitates victims of sexual offences and alleged perpetrators to come to resolution agreements, such as by limiting the spaces in which each can go to avoid them coming across one another.

But Ella said this creates a situation in which it is the ‘person who gets accused gets the most power… it was all very much on his terms.’

And although OSCCA says this informal procedure should take one to two months, it was eight months until Ella’s case was resolved, by which time she felts suicidal.

She also criticised the arrangement for having no practical enforcement methods, saying she ‘still sees him everywhere’ and that he sits just rows away from her during lectures.

‘I really hate it here,’ she added. ‘Genuinely, I don’t think I’ve ever hated being in a place so much.’

University investigations can take long periods of time, and provide no formal justice

Alice told the paper she was stalked by ‘someone in a position of power’ at her college, someone who allegedly has a ‘reputation’ who had exhibited similar behaviours previously.

After being persuaded to allow the college to investigate instead of reporting it to the police, she said a contract was put in place within a month – but that the perpetrator violated the agreement within ten minutes by sending her a message on social media.

Alice said the stalking ‘only got worse’ and that the university’s processes meant her stalker ‘didn’t take it seriously at all’.

While the stalking was ongoing, Alice attempted to see a counsellor at her college for mental health support – only to be told she couldn’t see them because her alleged stalker already was. She was informed it would be a ‘conflict of interest’.

She eventually took her allegations to police in Cambridge, and noticed an immediate improvement – but says it could have been stopped earlier if her college hadn’t ‘actively discouraged’ her from involving officers.

She described the police response as ‘great’.

The investigation also found that many students do not know that the university has an official reporting procedure or how it works.

One student told how they had been at university only a day when she was followed home by a man before being allegedly sexually assaulted.

Daisy was so traumatised by what happened that she developed an alcohol dependency and failed her first year exams.

She informed her college of what had happened, but says no-one suggested it should be reported either to police or the university.

Universities only became involved in potentially criminal issues involving its students in recent years.

Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute Rose Stephenson said: ‘Overnight, universities went from not really dealing with this, to running quasi-judicial processes, for cases up to, and including, sex without consent.’

She added students may choose to go through university reporting systems to avoid the trauma of a long criminal investigation, but added it makes her ‘uncomfortable’ that institutions are effectively ‘filling that gap’ in the justice system.

Professor McCartan of the University of the West of England said that the sexual violence ‘epidemic’ is a problem across all universities, but the lack of a national framework means ‘what you get is 130 universities all doing their own thing’.

He told MailOnline the role of universities in investigating sexual offences ‘calls into question the role of universities’ in students’ lives, and raised concerns over the variation of punitive measures deployed by different universities.

‘The question is what is within the remit of the university and what is within the remit of external organisations like the police.

‘This raises the real issue of what students are. At times universities treat students as children, but at the same time they will turn round and say they’re adults, they can make their own decisions.

‘Policing behaviour outside of the university setting is quite tricky. Universities need to do something: they need to engage in the process and they need to work together on this to prevent these great inconsistencies.’

He called for government ministers to ‘sit down and lead the conversation’ on whether it is appropriate for sexual offences to be investigated by educational institutions, and create a national framework of guidance.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: ‘We encourage the reporting of rape or sexual assault to us. We know it can be difficult and we understand that there are lots of reasons people choose not to report, and it’s always your choice.

‘We’re here for you and we will look after you whatever you decide to do. There is no time limit.’

A University spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Sexual misconduct has no place at Cambridge.

‘Students who report any form of criminal misconduct to the University are made aware of their option to contact the police and support is available to them both via their College and the wider University.

‘We have clear policies and processes in place about how claims of sexual misconduct are to be treated, and how students will be supported. Further information is available on the University’s Breaking the Silence and Student Complaints webpages.’