EL instructed by: Ellen Peart, BCL Solicitors
Student X was charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration. The alleged offences took place in a social context.
He and the complainant attended the same university and were friends. His defence was that he reasonably believed that the complainant had consented to the sexual activity.
X was found not guilty.
The allegations against Student X generated a great deal of gossip and rumour at the university; at the time there was a great deal of publicity arising from allegations of sexual misconduct at universities and complainants tending to turn to university internal disciplinary procedures rather than making complaints to the police. There were media reports of university officials discouraging those accused of sexual misconduct from obtaining legal representation. Eleanor Laws appeared on BBC Woman's Hour to give her expert opinion on this issue.