University of Edinburgh: Hundreds of students protest university's response to rape and sexual assault

Over one hundred students gathered in Bristo Square on Wednesday morning to protest the handling of reports of sexual assault and rape by the University of Edinburgh.

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The protest demanded changes to the redressal system with organisers saying victims must be treated with respect and offered genuine support, in place of the current system which they claim “protects perpetrators and the reputation of the university”.

The crowd began to gather at 11am and within half an hour over 100 students had arrived wielding signs and shouting chants to make their demands heard.

President of the Edinburgh University Feminist Society, Amy Life, told The Evening News: “We feel that currently the redressal system doesn’t protect survivors.

“It’s set against them from the beginning and can often lead to re-traumatisation, victim blaming and no justice at the end.

"That’s really what we’re hoping to change, we want the university to admit responsibility for not doing enough to prevent sexual assault and for not helping survivors afterwards.”

Addressing everyone who attended, Ms Life kicked off the protest by saying that students are being put at risk as the university “turns a blind eye and rests on its laurels”.

A selection of signs from the protest. (Picture credit: Lisa Ferguson)

She shouted through her megaphone: “We cannot downplay the role the university plays in this by not only facilitating assault through their negligence, but also in how they gaslight, victim blame, and abandon victims in their redressal system.

"I will not take the university’s silence and blatant disregard for what we’re doing here as anything other than an admittance of their own guilt and a display of their indifference.

Her final comments before passing the megaphone to fellow students were met with passionate cheers of support from the crowd.

"I want to remind everyone that there is no University of Edinburgh without us,” she said.

University of Edinburgh: Hundreds of students protest university's response to rape and sexual assault. (Picture credit: Lisa Ferguson)

"There is so much strength in our ability to come together like this and make our voices heard. Every student deserves safety, every student deserves to be believed and every student deserves justice.”

Several different chants could be heard throughout the protest including “say it once, say it again, no excuse for violent men”, “two, four, six, eight, no more violence no more rape” and "whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no”.

At the end of the protest – in addition to the organised speakers – the floor was opened up to allow attendees to get involved.

A student, Aisha-Janki, protesting in Bristo Square. (Picture credit: Lisa Ferguson)

Several students took the opportunity to share their own stories of rape and sexual assault, highlighting the humanity of the issue and long-lasting damage sexual violence has.

Aarti Mukhedkar, a third year student and one of the leaders of the campaign, launched a petition last month to highlight the problem facing survivors of sexual assault at the University of Edinburgh which has now reached over 50,000 signatures.

Addressing the protesters she said: “This isn’t going to end until there is change, I will see to that, and I can say with confidence everyone standing here today will too.

"As someone who has always hesitated to take part in activism – afraid that I will lose myself in movements that don’t move – as someone who has always preferred sharing their opinions over the dinner table, as someone who never wanted to be apart of such a politically polarised world – I have now found my voice.”

Telling her own story, Ms Mukhedkar said it took all she had to stand up for herself and make a complaint to the university.

She continued: "When the case was overturned and dismissed, when I was lied to, manipulated and thrown out the other end of the inhumane machine that we call the university, it changed me in ways I cannot even explain.

Speakers leading the protest in Bristo Square. (Picture credit: Lisa Ferguson)

"But so did writing that petition and so did starting this f****** movement."

In addition to the petition, last month an open letter with more than 500 signatures detailing experiences of students was written and addressed to Professor Peter Mathieson, current principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh.

The group received a response on Tuesday evening – the night before the protest – which stated the university doesn’t tolerate sexual assault and it has systems in place to address it. Campaigners have claimed it has “not taken responsibility” and nothing has changed.

In a statement sent to The Evening News on the same night, a spokesperson for the University of Edinburgh said: “The strength of feeling around these issues is something the University fully understands. We do not tolerate sexual violence within our community and we investigate all reports made to us thoroughly.

“Our processes are robust, but we will always seek to make improvements wherever we can and we intend to work with colleagues within our students association to ensure that the voices of students are included in any decisions on changing the way that sexual assaults within our community are reported and investigated.”

A review of the Code of Student Conduct is currently underway and is due to be completed in June this year.

Professor Colm Harmon, Vice Principal (Students) at the University of Edinburgh said: “The University is committed to the promotion of a positive culture for working and studying, in which all members of our community treat each other with dignity and respect and feel ‘equally safe’.

"The University expects all students to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner in their day-to-day activities, including in their dealings with other students, staff and external organisations and has a Code of Student Conduct to deal with allegations of misconduct in a fair and consistent manner.”

He added that the review will look in detail at the current policy and process of the Code of Student Conduct and "suggest amendments" based on their experience of using it in practice.

Rape Crisis Scotland helpline: 08088 01 03 02

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