Former student suing Cambridge University over handling of sexual harassment complaint

Rebecca Speare-Cole13 August 2019

A former student is suing the University of Cambridge over its handling of her sexual harassment complaint.

Danielle Bradfrord said she was discouraged by the university from launching a formal complaint after she was bombarded by up to 50 messages a day, many laced with sexual innuendos.

Mr Bradford said she was also told that she could not discuss the case with anyone, not even friends and family.

She said the handling of the complaint left her more traumatised than the harassment itself.

Danielle Bradfrord said she was discouraged from launching a formal harassment complaint after she was bombarded by up to 50 messages, many laced with sexual innuendos.
Channel 4 News

The former student has now filed a law suit against the university under The Equality Act, saying she is a victim of discrimination.

It comes after it emerged that 165 reports of rape and sexual assault were made at the University of Cambridge over three years.

Despite others making sexual assault and harassment allegations, hers is the only one the university has upheld since it launched its new complaints procedure in 2016, according to Channel 4 News.

Speaking to the broadcaster about making a complaint, Ms Bradford said: “I was told that I should think about it very carefully because it could affect my place in my department and any kind of future career that I wanted go into.”

She still persevered but said the only sanctions put in place were an apology letter and no contact.

Ms Bradford added: “There were no sanctions put in place to prevent this happening to other people.”

A Cambridge University spokesman said: “The University encourages students to be realistic about the reporting processes and their possible outcomes."

“There was no aspect of restorative justice either,” she continued.

“If a procedure is retraumatising, if it is discriminatory, if the result of the procedure does not make anyone more safe than they were before then it being upheld is not enough.”

Ms Bradford says she was also banned from certain building in order for the university to enforce the no contact rule, but could not explain to lecturers why because of the confidentiality.

She said: “It was made very explicit to me that if I told anyone - and that included friends and family - about what had happened, about the fact that I was taking a complaint and then even after about the outcome of the complaint that I was at risk of being charged with harassment myself."

“I’m hoping that the case I’m taking against the university will see some concrete changes.” she added.

A spokesman for the university said: “The University of Cambridge takes the personal safety of its students very seriously and is recognised within the higher education sector for its leading role in tackling harassment and sexual misconduct.

“We cannot comment on specific cases, but where students disclose sexual misconduct and wish action to be taken, information is given about the different reporting options available to them, including complaining to the police, and the potential consequences of these options.

“The University encourages students to be realistic about the reporting processes and their possible outcomes.

The process is designed to take action to investigate whether a student has breached University rules and, if so, to impose proportionate sanctions.”