An Exeter University student has said she was sexually assaulted on campus and didn't report it because she 'didn't trust officials to do anything to address the situation'.
The 18-year-old first year student, who has not been named, said she was threatened with violence twice in her first month at Exeter.
She added that on one occasion, a drunk student she didn't know entered her room at 3am and refused to leave, saying that this was a common "joke" during fresher's week, and male students would often rip the covers off sleeping female students. She said the male student said to her, "I'm going to have sex with you, you're a slut", and had to be removed by another man.
The account comes from The Telegraph as part of their investigation into the scale of sexual assaults at Universities.
A survey from the paper found that one in three female undergraduates had some experience of sexual assault at university.
Although most assaults were more minor offences, including groping, the frequency of attacks should give some students currently submitting UCAS applications – and their parents – pause for thought.
The Exeter student claims that during another 'series of pranks' with the next-door neighbours a fellow student locked her in her room, turned off the lights and said, "Bend over, I'm going to rape you".
She says she was locked inside for 15 minutes, until other students heard her banging on the door and let her out.
The student said her parents urged her to report it to the university but adds she had no idea who she could speak to, and didn't trust officials to do anything to address the situation.
Talking to The Telegraph she said she was worried that telling authorities would only create more tensions with her next-door neighbour.
Responding to the report Exeter University said that they investigate harassment complaints and discipline perpetrators.
"The university takes all allegations of this nature extremely seriously. There are very clear and well-publicised support systems in place for all students and we would encourage any student who encounters incidents of this nature to report them immediately," a spokesperson told the paper. Read the original Telegraph report by click here.
