I have been a victim of sexual misconduct / violence. What can I do?

• If you have been seriously injured or feel that you are still in danger, you should call 999 immediately. You should also call 999 if you wish to report the incident to the Police.
• If an incident of sexual assault / rape has occurred recently but you do not (yet) wish to report to the Police, you may wish to attend the local Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) – The Meadows – which can enable physical evidence to be collected and stored for any future reports or investigations; a decision does not need to be made immediately.
• You can contact a member of the College’s student support team for pastoral support and advice about your reporting options. Please see here for staff contact details, or feel free to knock on their office door.
• You can also use the University’s online Report + Support tool which allows students to report non-emergency incidents directly to the University’s Student Conduct Office.
• If you wish to access University or external support without speaking to a member of staff in College, you can visit the ‘Get Support’ page of the University’s Sexual Violence & Misconduct website.

I wish to make an official report to the University. What happens now?

• You should use the University’s online Report + Support tool which allows students to report non-emergency incidents directly to the University’s Student Conduct Office. You can ask a member of staff in College to support you using this tool, if you wish. When you make a report, you are offered a meeting with a case manager who will discuss the procedure with you and give you time to confirm your report. This allows you time to consider all of your options before the University takes action. The University may only consider if there was a breach of the Sexual Misconduct and Violence Policy. The University’s disciplinary process is separate from criminal law matters, and our misconduct offences are distinct from criminal offences. Every case is obviously different, but you may expect that the trained investigators will take statements from the reporting party, the responding party (alleged perpetrator), and any witnesses who have been identified.
• You can view a helpful infographic which explains each stage of the University’s investigation process.

I don’t wish to make an official report, but I’d like to access some support. What should I do?

• Please contact a member of the College’s student support team (Victoria, Jeanna or Charlie). You can find their contact details here. You are welcome to choose the member of staff you would feel most comfortable talking to. They can advise you of your options for support both within and external to the University and help you with some immediate practical support (Self-Certification of Absence forms, for example).
• Members of staff in College will always tell you what is going to happen with any information that you share and are happy, in most cases, to discuss what would happen in a hypothetical situation before you disclose full details. The only exception to this are situations when one of the parties involved is at immediate risk.

If I discuss an incident with College or University staff would I be required to report it to the Police?

• No member of staff will force you to report an incident to the Police or to make an official report to the University if you don’t want to. You can expect the information you share with us to be shared only with those members of staff who need to know in order to be able to provide support to you. The only exception to this is if the information you share with us raises a safeguarding concern (if a child or a vulnerable adult is at risk of harm) where we are legally obliged to share that information with the Police or Social Services. You can read the College’s Safeguarding policies here.

What are the possible sanctions that may be imposed if a student is found to have breached the University’s Sexual Misconduct and Violence Policy?

• Obviously, every alleged incident and every investigation is different, but in the past the University has imposed the below sanctions on students who have been found to have breached the University’s Sexual Misconduct and Violence Policy:
  • Undertaking additional training or attending counselling
  • A formal reprimand
  • A requirement to change College membership
  • A requirement to leave College accommodation
  • A permanent restriction on contact with a named person (a No Contact Order)
  • Temporary or permanent exclusion from the University