Just 40% of sex assault and harassment allegations investigated by college authorities

Aoibhinn Ni Shúilleabháiin recently revealed how she had been subject to regular sexual harassment by a professor at UCD.

Only four in every 10 allegations of sexual assault and harassment reported by third-level students in the past six years were investigated by college authorities.

New figures published by the Department of Education show only 49 cases of 120 reported sexual assault and harassment by students since the 2013/14 academic year were followed up with an investigation by the relevant third-level institution.

No breakdown of cases by individual college was provided.

The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, said figures on reports of sexual assault and harassment by students have not historically been collected on a systematic basis but the information had been gathered last year from 19 third-level universities and institutes.

They show the number of reported cases since 2017 has more than doubled with 36 cases reported in 2017/18 and 31 in 2018/19 compared to 15 or fewer in previous years.

However, only 27 of the 67 cases reported in the last two years resulted in a follow-up inquiry by the relevant college.

Figures for the number of reported cases of sexual offences at third-level colleges in the recent 2019/20 academic year are not available.

In response to a parliamentary question on the issue from Social Democrats TD, Holly Cairns, Mr Harris said: “The specific actions adjudged necessary and taken as a result of any such incident are matters for each higher education institution.” 

A survey on the sexual experience of over 6,000 third-level students by NUI Galway’s Active Consent programme and the Union of Students in Ireland earlier this year found 29% of females, 10% of males and 28% of non-binary students reported non-consensual penetration by incapacitation, force or threat of force.

The issue of sexual assaults and harassment on students and college staff came under renewed focus in August after the broadcaster and UCD lecturer, Aoibhinn Ni Shúilleabháiin, revealed how she had been subject to regular sexual harassment by a professor at the university over a two-year period after she had first reported the matter to the authorities in Belfield.

UCD President, Andrew Deeks, subsequently issued a public apology to Dr Ní Shúilleabháin as well as other colleagues and students who had suffered similar experiences at the university.

Prof Deeks promised the university would adopt “a core procedural shift” in future by giving it the option to investigate allegations of sexual harassment without a formal complaint being made.

“Bullying, harassment, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct have no place in UCD and we are already working to strengthen our current policies with a number of measures,” he added.

Mr Harris said he had written to the presidents of all publicly funded third-level colleges in August in relation to strengthening the implementation of a Framework for Consent on ending sexual harassment in higher education institutions which had been launched in April 2019.

The minister said he had also asked all colleges to develop specific action plans on tackling sexual violence and harassment by February 2021.