Students Walked Off Campus After Melb Uni Re-Admitted A Student Accused Of Sexual Assault
The University has since released a statement, saying it took "appropriate action" regarding the allegations.
University of Melbourne students are calling upon the school to recommit to a “zero-tolerance policy” for sexual harassment and abuse after a male student was readmitted to the school after allegedly being reported for multiple instances of sexual assault.
Students at the Victorian College of the Arts — a subsidiary of Melbourne University — walked out of campus on Monday morning in protest of the decision to readmit the man, who was allegedly reported for sexual harassment and assault back in 2019.
In a press release shared on Instagram, the collective of students have accused the university of “[failing] to act on multiple reports of harassment and assault” and allowing the man “on campus alongside those he has [allegedly] harmed.”
“Survivors are demanding that their abuser is removed from campus and that the University of Melbourne commit to stronger policies and actions when it comes to sexual assault,” the press release read.
Multiple alleged victims have come forward to share their stories in hopes of enacting change at the university.
“This whole ordeal occurred from the kitchen bench of this teacher’s home. Sinead and I were recorded for two hours as we begged this teacher to stop telling us to sympathise with assault and racial harassment,” Antoinette Tracey, a survivor of alleged sexual assault and harassment said in a press release. “We were told to view sexual and racial acts of violence as compliments. We were told that we’d never make it in the industry if we continued to speak out about injustices.
“We were told that if he [the alleged abuser] were to self-harm, it would be because we ostracised him. We were told our past experience of sexual assault and the possibility of us being on our periods made us unreliable in our assessment of the situation,” said Tracey, recounting her experience speaking out to another teacher about the alleged assault. “She then drove us back to class and forced us to attend. After repeatedly asking for a copy of the recording, she called me on a Friday night to tell me she had deleted it.”
This account is corroborated by fellow student Sinead Fernandes, who mentions the same encounter in her statement.
“This teacher picked us up in her car, took us to her apartment and asked our permission to record the entire conversation, to which we agreed,” said Fernandes, also noting a similar threat of speaking out against sexual assault being harmful to career prospects. “I spent 25 minutes explaining in detail every single traumatising event, she said nothing. The first time she said anything was “Well what about his feelings?”
“I was assaulted on campus by this man in 2019. I tried to make a report shortly after the incident and was told by a staff member not to take it any further because I would ‘have to miss class’ and ‘undergo a really stressful investigation’ while the reporting process was underway. It was another two years before I had the courage to try again,” Mia Boonen — who made allegations against the same man — said in a statement.
In a statement provided to Junkee, the University of Melbourne claims it “took appropriate action” when an alleged incident of misconduct was reported.
“In 2021, the University of Melbourne was formally advised of alleged misconduct concerning a student. The University took appropriate action under the Student Conduct Policy to address and respond to the concerns raised,” a spokesperson for the University of Melbourne told Junkee. “Student misconduct is taken seriously by the University. Complaints are considered and addressed in accordance with the University’s Student Conduct Policy, Vice-Chancellor Regulation and Student Charter, and may involve disciplinary and other action in appropriate cases.
“We are not able to comment on the specifics of this matter, however the University has taken appropriate steps to respond to the issues raised, in line with our policy settings and values.
“We can confirm that the disciplinary process has concluded. Should students have concerns over this matter, we encourage them to contact the University’s Safer Community Program. Anyone associated with the University of Melbourne is expected to uphold the University’s principles and values at all times.”