Sexual assault victim claims Kingston University is inefficient at dealing with sexual misconduct
A Kingston University student who is a victim of sexual misconduct herself set up a society after being displeased with the university reporting system.
The Art student, Cara Gaskel, pointed out the lack of information on spending figures: ‘A few years ago, 24 000 pounds were allocated to the university to prevent sexual misconduct’. Though a small part of it had been used to address the rape, sexual assault and harassment issue, Cara tried to trace back the rest of the funds with no success. ‘Certainly, it’s expensive, but what is more important than this?’ she said.
Frustrated by what she considered as being ‘a lack of concrete action from KU’, Cara Gaskel took action. She set up the SHARP society (Sexual Harassment, Assault and Rape Protection) to create a ‘safe space for anyone who needs one.’
Cara mentioned the contradictory reputation of Kingston to be one of the safest boroughs of London. ‘People don’t realise how much happens; it’s unbelievable.’ As for figures, ITV ranked Kingston University as one of the highest rates of rape, sexual assault and harassment in 2018.
For Cara, one of the critical solutions remains the cultural shift. She advocates for massive prevention campaigns and the creation of discussion spaces for everyone. ‘We need to make people understand that it is okay to report anything and that we believe them’. She expressed her disappointment in the lack of prevention: ‘In KU, preventive leaflets and posters are hard to find if ever existing.’
Cara made it clear, ‘we are all hugely willing to work with the university and the student union. For her, it would be beneficial for both parties[...] we need to forget the past, move on and act concretely.’ However, if nothing happens, she is ready to take it further by organising protests on campuses and contacting the local press.
On the other hand, a KU spokesperson said: ‘The University has a range of measures in place to ensure the safety of its students and staff, including a 24-hour campus security service, which can be contacted on the emergency 0208 417 6666 number, and the added protection of CCTV across all our sites.’
Cara answered to the uni statement by recommending the university should take more measures concerning the student halls. Cara said: ‘There isn’t enough publicity nor clarity in how to protect themselves or prevent these situations. The university needs to acknowledge the absence of support.’
Cara emphasised that people mustn’t lose trust in the procedures. She stated that a peer-to-peer liaison system would benefit more than the personal tutor scheme as it is challenging to build trust with a stranger.
Feisal Haji, President of the student union, expressed “Students should be able to give effective feedback on the complaint process. That way, we can push to get it changed in a way that is more effective and takes into consideration the experiences of those who have been through it. We should never be in the position of thinking we’ve done enough.’
This situation echoes a BBC investigation which had found that rape, sexual assault and harassment in UK universities have trebled in the last three years. Only 48 universities reported using the type of prevention training suggested by the established guidelines by UK universities.
