Sexual Misconduct at University

Students are entitled to study, live and socialise without experiencing sexual harassment or abuse. When sexual misconduct concerns arise, it is essential to understand your options, your rights, and how university processes should operate in practice.

What Counts as Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Between Students?

Sexual misconduct covers a spectrum of behaviours where there is no consent. Common examples include:

• Unwanted sexual touching or attempts to touch
• Coercion to engage in sexual activity
• Recording or sharing intimate images without consent
• Persistent sexualised messages
• Stalking
• Threatening or degrading sexual comments in person or online.

Universities investigate allegations by gathering evidence from those involved and assessing whether there has been a breach of the student conduct code. Our experience shows that these investigations are often poorly managed, leading to unfair or flawed outcomes that can seriously affect both complainants and accused students.

How Frequent is Sexual Misconduct in Universities?

Sexual misconduct remains a significant issue across the higher education sector. The 2025 Office for Students (OfS) survey of final‑year undergraduates in England found that:

• 5% had experienced sexual harassment since starting university
• 14.1% reported sexual assault or sexual violence
• Only 13.2% of those harassed in the previous year made a formal report.

Women and LGBT students reported disproportionately higher rates. These figures highlight both the scale of the issue and the barriers students face when deciding whether to engage with university reporting processes.

What Universities Must Do Now

Universities are subject to OfS regulatory requirements relating to harassment and sexual misconduct. They must:

• Publish a single, clear and accessible source of information setting out policies and procedures
• Provide training for staff and students
• Take steps that make a significant and credible difference in practice, not just on paper.

Despite this, our experience shows that many universities continue to fall short in how allegations are handled. We were pleased to contribute to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator’s consultation on harassment and sexual misconduct, which closed in February 2026. We are now awaiting the final report and further guidance on how universities are expected to improve their approach to these sensitive and complex matters.

How Can We Help You?

We advise students across England and Wales who are either accused of sexual misconduct or who have experienced sexual harassment or abuse. We act for undergraduates and postgraduates, bringing specialist education law expertise alongside a balanced, fair and pragmatic approach.

If You Are Accused of Sexual Misconduct

If you are accused, you are entitled to a fair and lawful process. This includes:

• Independent and unbiased decision‑making
• A clear explanation of the allegation
• A proper opportunity to respond
• Proportionate and justified precautionary measures, such as no‑contact directions or temporary relocations.

Universities must assess evidence against the student conduct code on the balance of probabilities and follow sector guidance on investigations, hearings and interim steps.

We protect your procedural rights, prepare you for meetings and hearings, and challenge outcomes where investigations or decisions are flawed. Where necessary, we advise on and pursue judicial review where a university’s process has been unfair.

If You Have Experienced Sexual Misconduct

You can seek support and explore your options without making an immediate formal complaint. Many students choose to engage with internal university processes first so that safeguarding measures and academic support can be put in place.

University processes should be accessible, trauma‑informed and transparent about outcomes and follow‑up support. We help you:

• Understand your reporting options
• Preserve and present key evidence
• Provide a clear, supported account of what has happened
• Address the impact on your studies and wellbeing.

Universities should clearly explain what will happen next, the likely timescales, and the outcomes in terms that are meaningful for your safety and education. If an internal process is unclear, delayed or unfair, you can escalate the matter to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator once the internal process is complete.

What we do for you

We are specialist education lawyers with extensive experience in university sexual misconduct cases. We act for complainants and respondents with the same commitment to care, fairness and clarity.

Our experience includes contributing to national research and consultations on student sexual misconduct, taking cases through to the Court of Appeal, and advising on sector‑wide standards. We bring that insight to every case, while keeping our advice practical, focused and accessible.

We will:

• Listen carefully to your experience
• Explain the options open to you and likely timescales, based on real‑world experience
• Prepare clear, focused statements and evidence aligned to university expectations
• Seek appropriate interim measures or academic adjustments, or challenge those that go beyond what is necessary
• Support you at meetings and hearings
• Draft targeted appeals addressing procedural errors or unreasonable findings
• Advise on the merits of judicial review where a university’s process has been unlawful or unfair.