I am a PhD student at Oxford University. In 2019 I was groomed and sexually assaulted by a fellow student at Balliol College, Oxford University. My abuser was assigned by the College to manage my welfare. He took advantage of me during a period of poor health which culminated in a number of incidents of sexual assault on campus.  

I am crowdfunding to cover my legal costs to hold Balliol college accountable for their failure to protect me from my abuser and for their safeguarding failings after I reported the incident. 

When I went to the Head of College Welfare for support, I was told to “think about [my abusers] future” and asked if I was aware of “the effect I had on men”. 

The college refused to investigate what had happened to me because I chose not to report the incidents to the police.  The college’s failure to  take any disciplinary action against my abuser, or to adequately investigate my complaint,  put my safety, and the safety of other women at Oxford University, at risk. 

I am still a student and I don’t have the financial means to fund this case. This is why I need your help. Oxford University’s policy which allows the university to turn a blind eye to sexual violence on campus needs to be amended. It sends the wrong message to survivors and condones the behaviour of abusers.

I spoke to investigative journalists working for Al Jazeera, who published a documentary called ‘Degrees of Abuse’. This documentary illustrates the way in which Oxford University fails and further traumatises victims of sexual assault. 

You can watch my story below:

How much am I raising and why

I am aiming to raise £10,000 to pay for an barrister to consider my case. If the advice is positive, the money will fund the initial steps of my claim, including issuing my claim at Court. 

Thank you so much for reading, and for any help you can give with either sharing the CrowdJustice link and/or making a donation.