Everyone’s Invited - statement from Oxford Brookes University
A statement from Professor Alistair Fitt, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University:
“The testimonies shared on Everyone’s Invited are shocking and describe abhorrent behaviours which are entirely unacceptable. We are very concerned that a number of these accounts relate to traumatic experiences at Oxford Brookes.
“Our priority is to make sure that any victims of sexual misconduct, harassment and sexual offences can access the support that they need, and ensure that any accusations are investigated.
“Sexual misconduct and harassment have no place at our University and the safety and welfare of our students is of the utmost importance. We take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously but we acknowledge that there is more to do. It is paramount that all students, and particularly those affected by these incidents, know of the help and support available to them at Oxford Brookes.
Help and support for students
“We strongly encourage students to access our own Wellbeing Service for non-judgemental, confidential support and advice. The service includes counselling and pastoral care, access to welfare advisors, self-help resources and links to local networks and resources including the Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre.
“If anyone has witnessed or experienced sexual violence, harassment or unwanted sexual conduct of any kind we encourage them to report it via our online reporting tool, so it can be investigated properly. This can be completed with contact details or anonymously, and anonymous reports will still be investigated as far as possible.
“We expect all of our University community to treat others with respect and behave responsibly. We want to ensure that an inclusive and respectful culture exists in every aspect of university life, and we are actively working to maintain and improve this - for instance, we are commissioning an independent review of our sports clubs to ensure that policies and practices reflect the culture, behaviours and values we expect of all our students.
“We regularly review and refresh our knowledge, understanding and action plans relating to sexual misconduct and harassment and are fully committed to tackling this issue.”