Briefings & Evidence

Response to Petition2022: Introduce national safeguarding guidance on how higher education institutions should handle cases of sexual misconduct.

We welcome the opportunity to respond to the Scottish Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee regarding petition PE 2022: introduce national safeguarding guidance on how higher education institutions should handle cases of sexual misconduct.

Universities are deeply committed to the prevention of gender-based violence, hate crimes and other acts of violence within a university environment. The safety of the university community is a priority for every institution. The petition relates to a few different aspects of policy and procedure in the higher education sector and a very active area of current work.

Our submission focuses on three key areas:

  • Cases where students are convicted of sexual offences or awaiting trial for serious sexual offences.
  • Next steps.
  • Sexual misconduct which is not reported to the police and does not become a criminal matter.

You can read our full submission here.